


Be Careful What You Wish For

by 18lzytwner



Series: ThunderCats Second Series [10]
Category: Thundercats (1985)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-12
Updated: 2010-11-12
Packaged: 2019-07-04 03:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 27,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15833214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Lion-O finds himself bored with normal life. He will wish for that normal life after the peace is shattered.





	1. Chapter 1

Two years had passed and relations between New Thundera and Plundarr couldn't have been better. The Mutants had also been able to open trade routes with Third Earth and multiple other planets near by. It had taken awhile for most of Plundarr to get used to the freedom and all the changes but things were stable which in turn stabilized the region.

Less and less Lion-O found himself having to answer the call of the Sword. Life on New Thundera had become monotonous. Crime was always a factor but nothing to the extent of when the Mutants would attack or Mumm-Ra would try to hatch some evil scheme. Strangely, the Lord of the ThunderCats found himself wishing for the good old days.

"Something on your mind my Lord? You don't seem to be putting your efforts into your daily reports." Lucius asked as he looked up from his own paperwork. Upon becoming healthy the reptile had been made liaison between Plundarr and New Thundera. He had a counterpart on Third Earth and other planets, which seemed to help the transition of their home world. He and Lion-O ended up sharing an office once the walls were demolished between the original Lord of the ThunderCats office and an unused storeroom. At first, Tygra had wondered why he wanted that but the lion assured him it would help in the transition period.

"This probably sounds stupid but I miss the good old days." The lion said.

"Good old days?" Lucius wondered.

"Well life has become pretty dull don't you think?" Lion-O asked.

"Oh you wish to have the days back when we fought on a regular basis and Mumm-Ra terrorized the planet?" The reptile smirked slightly.

"Don't take it the wrong way. I enjoy the peace our peoples have achieved. I just well have fallen into a rut." His friend responded.

"I know exactly what you mean. We spent so long fighting for what we believed in and now that we have it, we have nothing to occupy ourselves with. Well that isn't entirely true but we find normal life boring." Lucius said.

"That's exactly it!" Lion-O smiled, glad he wasn't the only one who felt that way. There was a knock on the door and both men let their own conversation fall as the lion beckoned whoever knocked to enter.

"Good afternoon Dad, Lucius." Sahara nodded to them.

"Afternoon sweetie. What can we do for you?" Lion-O got up from his desk and gave her a hug.

"Mom and I are off to go shopping for my dress. Tyler is off to the tailor for his dress uniform. Seems the last one he had is a little small. We'll get dinner while we're out. Don't have Snarf wait up." She laughed. The old nursemaid wasn't running the nursery anymore but he would still give orders to the new babysitters. He'd finally retired and decided he could teach the young women of Thundera a thing or two. It had made him very happy but he still found himself performing much of the tasks he used to.

"I'll make sure he gets his beauty sleep. You have fun with your mother and your betrothed. I'll make sure to razz Ben-Gali about it later." He chuckled.

"Thanks. Love you." She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Love you too." Lion-O smiled. She said goodbye to both men and the lion fell into his chair.

"You have the mating of your daughter to young Tyler to look forward too. They are a good couple. You could not have asked for a better son-in-law." Lucius smiled.

"This is true my friend. Tyler is a very good ThunderCat and pumiger. I know he will keep Sahara safe and be a good mate. What more could I ask for?" Lion-O nodded.

"Not much my Lord. We should all be so lucky." The reptile said. Lion-O nodded again and then the two got back to work. Neither one ever suspected what would be coming down the road. It would shake the very peace they had so desperately made.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darkseid, Mother Box, and boom tube are not mine they belong to DC, which I've added to the story.
> 
> ALSO STRONG T RATING FOR THIS CHAPTER

From the depths of hell, somewhere near the seventh circle, Mumm-Ra toiled for his evil masters. Satan was continually heating his pokers to make sure that the mummy and his companions were doing their endless tasks. The mummy found it all ironic. He served evil for most of his life and yet somehow ended up where he was. He thought evil heaven would be much nicer.

"Stop your dallying, Mumm-Ra." The evil overlord, in charge of the lowest circle, sneered. He stood at seven feet tall, the horns on his head stretching another six inches above that. His red skin matched his brown leather pants and shoes. The demon's broad muscular chest was bare and full of scars, reminders of his past, constantly tormenting him.

"Ah Safet, you never cease in your duties. Makes you a good slave. Wish I'd had dependable ones." Mumm-Ra sighed.

"They would not have saved you from Mumm-Rana or Sahara, that I can assure you. Back to work." Safet said flatly. Satan had given him all the information on every prisoner he kept watch over and he often used it to his advantage.

Mumm-Ra nodded and grabbed the nearest rock. His task was to use a regular hammer to smash the small boulder into pieces without the use of his magical powers, which had been stripped from him. Once he had smashed all the explosive hot rocks in the ten square feet he'd been given, the rocks would rematerialize and he would start all over.

"SAFET!" A loud voice boomed. All the prisoners around Mumm-Ra cowered in fear but the mummy did not.

"Yes Master?" The demon asked.

"SEND MUMM-RA TO ME." The voice boomed again. Safet only nodded and quickly grabbed the mummy.

"Sounds like Satan wants to give you an extra helping of punishment today. Enjoy your trip." Safet pulled out his Mother Box and pressed the button. Within an instant the boom tube delivered Mumm-Ra to the first circle of hell where Satan greeted all the new arrivals before determining where they would end up.

"Good to see you Satan. You look well." Mumm-Ra smiled.

"Enough with your platitudes mummy. You will kneel before me." Satan's sour expression did not change. Mumm-Ra got down on both knees and bowed to the ruler of everything evil. At this point he expected to be whipped or stabbed in the back but nothing happened.

"You will listen to me. I have been given a proposition from the Ancient Spirits of Evil. Seems they have been searching for you for the past few years and they were shocked to find you here. Although they should know what happens when people fail me. For too long I watched you struggle to subdue the ThunderCats with the help of those pathetic Mutants and Lunatacs. When the time came and Mumm-Rana began to send you back, I allowed it. You had outlived your usefulness. Now it seems however through their magic powers they have discovered a way to find you. They want you back. I refused until they gave me a good enough reason. Their reason has now become apparent and I believe their plan will work. However, if you fail me again, you will be brought back here and your punishment will be much steeper." At this Satan kicked the mummy in the ribs, which made him roll over onto his back. Satan then put a foot on Mumm-Ra's stomach.

"You know what happens to the worst of you don't you? You hear the screams every day or have you drowned them out by now?" He asked.

"There are those worse than me? I highly doubt it." Mumm-Ra smirked. That comment was rewarded by Satan moving his foot to the mummy's crotch and stomping down. The mummy cried out and the evil master of all villainy explained.

"Murderers are tortured and killed in the manner of which they killed. Rapists have their jewels cut off and are forced to watch as they bleed to death slowly. You are one of the few that got off easy because of all your hundreds of years of service. I will not make that mistake again. You screw this up and you'll be pulling both of the punishments I just mentioned. I will have you regenerated twice a day for all eternity. That's the beauty of living here. Everyday is Groundhog Day." Satan told him.

"Then what am I doing for you?" Mumm-Ra managed to wheeze out as the demon stepped off of his testicles.

"You will use this boom tube so graciously given to me by Darkseid himself. He escapes my wrath by the evil genius that is his planet of Apokolips and by giving me useful items. This Mother Box will transport you to New Thundera. There you will capture Tyler Gali. You will send him here to take your place. Then disguised as Tyler you will mate with Sahara, Lion-O's daughter. From that position, you will have unlimited access to Cat's Lair and be able to sow the seeds of evil, if you catch my drift." Satan smirked.

"You want me to what?" Mumm-Ra asked.

"You heard me. Give me a 'son' and you'll be released from your Thunderian form. Free to terrorize the planet of New Thundera for all eternity. A word of caution to this tale; the Mutants have joined forces with the ThunderCats." The demon explained.

"They what?" The mummy couldn't believe it.

"I know, a cruel twist of fate, I assure you. Now be gone. Your powers will be restored upon reaching the ruins of your pyramid." Satan handed him a Mother Box and then used his own to expel the mummy from hell.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun rose over the distant mountains as Mumm-Ra trekked his way across the desert. He'd been plopped miles from where the ruins of his pyramid used to be. It was probably Satan's way of making sure he had a hard time. Of course he was already having a hard time trying to figure out how he was going to do it. Sending Tyler to hell was easy. Becoming the pumiger was easy. Making babies with Sahara, not so easy. Revenge is a dish best served cold and he knew that better than most but this kind of revenge was a little above his pay grade. Kill, yes. Maim, absolutely. But this, well this took the cake. Of course his chances for everything else that he ever wanted were there. He'd be living in his pyramid again. Creating havoc and destroying stuff again, that he was looking forward to. Failing this time held strong consequences and he wasn't sure if he could handle that.

He trudged on with his thoughts for a little while longer as the sun began to bake his already dried out skin. He was wishing he'd had a cool breeze or even some water to splash on himself when he spotted what he believed to be the remains of his pyramid. Quickly he dashed up to them and crouched in the shade behind a broken obelisk. The temperature in the shade was about as hot as in the sun but at least it would provide cover until he could find the opening to his pyramid.

Slowly as the day began to drag on, Mumm-Ra continued to dig for any of the passageways that would lead him to the main chamber. Sometime around three in the afternoon, he struck pay dirt. As quickly as he could he removed enough sand to make the journey into the underground passageway easier. Then he slid down the remainder of the dune into the pitch black of the tunnel.

He had no way of getting light down inside the tunnel and waited to let his eyes adjust. Not much had changed since he'd left minus the whole sinking into the ground thing. Once the pyramid had been abandoned, the Ancient Spirits of Evil cleverly hid it in the desert sands. Of course Mother Nature had a hand in it too.

Moving slowly along the walls, he felt for the end of the tunnel. At this rate it would take days to reach the main chamber. Mumbling to himself about how unhelpful Satan can be, he tripped over a fallen brick. Cursing as he slowly stood up, a light shone in the tunnel. Suddenly he worried someone was already here but his fears were unfounded as familiar voices called to him.

"Mumm-Ra, this way! Follow the light!"

"I'm coming Ancient Spirits!" He was almost as giddy as a schoolgirl. The light allowed travel to be markedly better and he quickly made his way into the main chamber.

"Climb into your cauldron." The Spirits ordered. It was now void of the magical water that used to reside there but that didn't matter. Once inside, the water rushed around him and covered him. Unsure of what was going on the mummy hoped his powers would come back soon because he couldn't hold his breath forever.

"Rejuvenate our servant! Bring forth the power that is his!" The Ancient Spirits of Evil commanded. Then in an instant the pyramid pulled itself from the sand and put itself back together again. Mumm-Ra rose from the water feeling much better.

"Call to us Mumm-Ra!" They commanded.

"Ancient Spirits of Evil, transform this decayed form into Mumm-Ra, The Ever-Living!" He crowed. The powers of the Ancients combined and he grew in stature and his muscles rippled.

"I haven't felt this good in a long time!" He shouted.

"Tonight will be your opportunity, Mumm-Ra. Take Tyler Gali and have him take your place in hell." They ordered.

"As you wish, my Masters!" He chuckled as they transformed him into Tyler. He then pulled out the boom tube and was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Tyler sat in the control room watching the monitors. He'd pulled the short straw a few days ago when he and Leo were fighting over who had to work the night shift. Needless to say, the pumiger didn't like night shift as it encompassed the time from which the sun descended over the horizon until it crested again over the distant mountains. In summer this shifts were blissfully short lasting eight hours but in the winter they could be anywhere from twelve to fourteen hours long. Granted during the winter, someone could sleep through most of their shift without missing anything but to get caught doing so wasn't good. At this point in the year, he was looking at about a ten hour shift as the leaves on the trees turned red, gold, and brown.

His thoughts shifted from how long his shift was going to be to happier thoughts about his mating to Sahara. It was only one week away and everyone in the Lair was practically tripping over Snarf as he had taken control of the whole event. Most of the ceremony was to be broadcast live all over New Thundera and Third Earth.  _No pressure_ , he smirked to himself.

The control room doors opened and the pumiger looked to the doorway. In strode one of his favorite companions, Ma-Mutt.

"Ma-Mutt! Come to hang out?" He asked.

"Bark!" The ever-living dog wagged his tail and jumped up into the seat next to Tyler. The pumiger petted the top of the dog's head and they turned to the monitors. So far a scan of every sector had turned up empty and things were quiet.

"I think we'll be pretty bored tonight buddy. Did you bring your ball?" Tyler wondered. Ma-Mutt shook his head.

"Oh well then we'll make do." He chuckled and his focus returned to the monitors. A few minutes later, Ma-Mutt suddenly growled.

"What is it boy? The monitors show nothing." Tyler asked. The dog continued to growl and he leapt from his seat. Now the pumiger was curious and he reached for the phone to call Sahara. She was his backup tonight and he hoped she'd have some insight into what had gotten her pet into a mood. However he never got to pick up the calling instrument as the control room doors opened and there in front of him was himself.

"What the…?" the real Tyler started. Before he could do much else, Ma-Mutt leapt forward and made a move to clamp his teeth on the intruder. However the intruder deflected the dog with a blast of red energy, sending him flying back across the room and slamming into the equipment. Ma-Mutt was down and Tyler reached for the alert button.

"I don't think so." The look-alike smirked as he blasted a bolt of energy at the pumiger. The shot was a direct hit and Tyler slumped to the ground.

"That was almost too easy." Mumm-Ra said as he pulled the boom tube from his belt. One good zap and the real Tyler would be on a one-way trip to the fiery pit below. While he fiddled with the controls, still getting used to using his new hands, Tyler slowly opened his eyes. He saw his attacker was preoccupied and slammed his fist down onto the alert button.

"You bastard!" Mumm-Ra bellowed and quickly trained the boom tube on Tyler. The cone shaped beam directed at him swallowed up the pumiger and he disappeared. Next Mumm-Ra set the beam on Ma-Mutt and the dog disappeared as well. Quickly he went about looking at the keyboard trying to figure out how to shut the blaring alarm sound off. He wasn't fast enough as Sahara entered the room.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I tried to kill a fly and accidentally turned on the alarm. Can you help me shut it off?" He asked, hoping his ruse would work.

"Sure, no problem." The litah smiled and the two quickly shut if off. Sahara announced it was a false alarm and everyone who had been on their way returned to their beds.

"Boy do I feel stupid." The fake Tyler said.

"Accidents happen." Sahara continued to smile.

"Thanks for the help. Guess I'd better get back to the screens." Mumm-Ra told her.

"No problem. Have you seen Ma-Mutt? He took off a little while ago and I assumed it was for a potty break but he hasn't come back." She said.

"I haven't seen him but if I do, I'll let him know you were looking for him." He promised.

"Thanks." Sahara gave him a peck on the cheek and turned and left the room. He watched her go and then smirked. If she couldn't tell he wasn't the genuine article then no one else would. The two troublemakers that could say otherwise were gone. Now onto part two of the plan.


	5. Chapter 5

Tyler and Ma-Mutt found themselves tumbling out of the boom tube's transportation and winding up on the very hard floor. The dog immediately picked himself up, knowing that he had to protect the pumiger at all costs. Standing in front of Tyler, Ma-Mutt surveyed their surroundings.

The ground was red clay that seemed to emanate heat, which was causing both of them to sweat. Stalactites and stalagmites surrounded them from the floor and what appeared to be a cave ceiling. It was very dark but the ever-living dog's eyes were used to such darkness and he could see very well.

"Where are we boy?" Tyler asked as he picked himself up off the dirt into the sitting position. Ma-Mutt nudged him with his nose and kept a sharp lookout for anything heading their way.

"Well since you don't know where we are, I guess we'd better see if we can't find a way out." The pumiger attempted to pull himself up only to find his right leg not wanting to do so. It was odd as he didn't feel any pain but he knew something wasn't right. Ma-Mutt growled and he turned to see a light coming at them.

"So what do we have here?" A red-faced demon with horns coming out of his head asked. Tyler made eye contact despite the creature's scary outward appearance.

"My dog and I were zapped here. Can you tell us where we are?" The pumiger wondered.

"Why you're in Hell my dear boy. That kind of happens when you lived a life of sin." The demon explained.

"What do you mean lived in sin? I am a ThunderCat, a sworn protector of New Thundera and Third Earth and I am not dead." Tyler sputtered. The demon took a moment to look at the pumiger. His clothes were intact and he was relatively clean despite being covered in the red dust from the cave's floor.

"I think there is someone you need to see. Can you walk?" The red-faced creature asked.

"I can't seem to get up. My right leg." Tyler said. The demon moved his light closer to examine the leg.

"We'll need to get you to the master. He can heal you and explain what you are doing here. Come, we'll use the fast method." The demon held out his own Mother Box and instantly the two made their way to a room that was filled with stone furniture and blazing fires. It was very warm and Tyler began to sweat even more.

"Master, we have an injured party." The demon announced.

"Safet, horrible of you to drop by. What's this about injuries?" One of the stone chairs rotated around and there sat a red demon in a red cloak. He had a black goatee and pointed ears. Tyler glanced about the room and suddenly noticed the pitchfork on the wall. He swallowed hard. To this Ma-Mutt growled at the newcomer.

"Ah Ma-Mutt. What are you doing here?" Satan asked.

"He came with the boy. Found them in one of the mining tunnels." Safet replied for the dog.

"So Mumm-Ra has started my plan in motion and managed to capture our little dog friend as well. Excellent. Now lets take a look at the leg." The Master of Lies and Deception said. He picked Tyler up by the shoulders and stood him up straight. It was obvious that the tumble from the Boom Tube into the cave had given him nasty lacerations and a sprained ankle. With a flick of the wrist and a snap of his fingers, the wounds were gone, the ankle healed.

"Now that is taken care of, Safet take Ma-Mutt to the Pit of Despair. He'll be a most welcome addition to our hellhound collection." Satan instructed. Both Tyler and Ma-Mutt started to protest in their own ways but the Master of all Villainy grabbed the pumiger by the throat.

"One good squeeze and I end him. He would never be able to return to New Thundera." Satan threatened Ma-Mutt who backed down and whimpered as Safet used the Boom Tube to send them to their destination.

"Now before I send you to serve under Safet in Mumm-Ra's place, I must tell you the brilliance of my plan. You see whether Mumm-Ra succeeds or not, I will have a son to follow in my footsteps and that will be you. You will learn everything there is to learn about ruling Hell and you will like it or I will be forced to remand you to the custody of the hellhounds. You see once someone living is bitten by a hellhound, they die a horrible, painful death that cannot be prevented. Any questions before I proceed?" Satan inquired as he released the pumiger.

"What is Mumm-Ra going to do?" Tyler demanded.


	6. Chapter 6

Morning came earlier than Sahara had expected and she rolled out of bed. Looking around, she still did not see her pet and grew concerned. Ma-Mutt never took off. He was as loyal as they came and even if he'd gone out hunting, he would be at the foot of her bed in the morning. She raced to get washed and dressed. With that done in short order, the litah raced off to find her father.

"What have we got today Snarf?" The lion asked as he plopped himself into a seat at the breakfast table.

"A just got a fresh shipment of candy fruit in. Candy fruit pancakes, muffins, and scones for everybody!" The Snarf smiled.

"Oh boy, I can't wait!" Panthro licked his lips and picked up his utensils as Snarf placed a plate of food in front of him.

"You would think I hadn't let him eat in days." Lea shook her head.

"That's what happens when the candy fruit runs out six months ago." Ben-Gali smirked.

"Where is the syrup?" The panther asked, ignoring them.

"Has anyone seen Sahara?" Cheetara asked, concerned her daughter had not shown up for breakfast. Lion-O went to open his mouth when the litah raced in.

"Something is wrong." She spat out.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked as he walked into the room.

"Ma-Mutt is missing. He never came back last night." Sahara explained.

"Put a call out to all the guard posts around the planet. If anyone sees him they are to bring him back immediately. Have Tygra pull up the film from last night's security tapes and see what we have," Lion-O told her.

"On it." The litah shot off.

"Have you seen the dog son?" Ben-Gali wondered.

"No, not since before I went on my shift." The fake Tyler lied.

"It's not like him to just run off." Lion-O shook his head. He didn't like it and something wasn't sitting right. Not wanting to upset anyone, he would check with the Sword after breakfast.

"Maybe he caught a scent and got a little sidetracked. He is an ever-living dog, so I wouldn't be too concerned unless he isn't back before dinner." The "pumiger" suggested.

"With the alerts set up and everyone aware, no doubt he'll turn up." Panthro nodded.

"I suppose you're right. I just hate to see Sahara upset." Lion-O said. Everyone understood this and the rest of breakfast was spent with idle chitchat and talk of what would be going on the rest of the day.

Once everyone was done eating, Tyler headed for his room. It was time for him to sleep and he was feeling drained. It had been a long time since he was away from his coffin. The Ancient Spirits of Evil told him that he would need to sleep to regenerate his powers without using his sarcophagus. Eight hours would be enough to keep him charged throughout the day. In the back of his mind, he worried slightly about that fact that no one would be able to find Ma-Mutt by looking on this planet but the worry faded as his head hit the pillow. Sleep encompassed him and the world faded to black.

Sahara shook her head as she and Tygra examined the security tapes. There was nothing on them to indicate where or even when Ma-Mutt had left Cat's Lair.

"How is this possible?" The litah asked.

"I don't have any idea. There should have been an angle of his leaving somewhere but there isn't." Tygra said.

"He isn't in the Lair and I've checked his favorite hiding spots nearby. He isn't there. He has to be somewhere." She was on the verge of tears. She and Ma-Mutt had been thick as thieves since she was a cub and the thought of losing him was killing her.

"I'll have Panthro take a look at these. If they have been doctored, he'll be able to tell. We'll find Ma-Mutt don't you worry." Tygra hoped he was being reassuring but something in the back of his mind told him it wouldn't be so easy to find the dog. If someone had done something to him, they had to be powerful to do it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this portion of the story and further portions there will be discussions of what Hell is and how it operates. I have used some ideas from Dante but most is my own making. I know that religion can be a touchy subject and I'm not prone to telling anyone how they feel about religion. This is my own interpretation of how things have progressed on Third Earth/New Thundera. If it offends you, then do not continue. If you enjoy it, I'd appreciate you telling me. Thanks!

Tyler was awoken by Satan to start his first day of training. His mind was screaming at him to find a way home before the unthinkable happened. Unfortunately, he could find no way out of his new quarters and even if he did, he had no idea where to go. The Devil had made it perfectly clear what would happen if he disobeyed him and he feared he was doomed to wind up a snack for the hellhounds. Although on some level, Satan's plan depended on Mumm-Ra succeeding and he could use this to his advantage. The mummy wasn't known for his plans working and Tyler bet it would be harder for Mumm-Ra to complete his task than Satan expected. After all when was the last time, the mummy had been able to prove that his body worked properly. He'd been gone from New Thundera for almost four years, being dead couldn't be good for anyone.

"You're quiet. I expected rage, insults, physical abuse, but yet I get nothing." Satan broke his train of thought.

"As a ThunderCat, I have learned how to hide my emotions." Tyler responded.

"You had a very good teacher then. Now for the grand tour." The red demon smirked as they exited his home and descended a long flight of stairs leading to the first circle of Hell.

"There are nine circles of Hell; each one varying in its use and punishment. Our first stop is Limbo, which is the first circle. Before we get too far, have you read Dante?" Satan asked.

"I'm afraid not. Who was he?" Tyler asked.

"He was a man who lived back in the fourteenth century on what is now called Third Earth. Back when it was First Earth, he wrote epic poems that were allegorical in nature. His  _Divine Comedy_ , in which Hell is described in the first part called  _Inferno_ , tries to show what was called a Christian the journey taken to reach their God through the recognition of their sins and of course the hopeful rejection of those sins. Some sins you can never be forgiven for and that is why we stay so full. Back to Dante, though, his portrayal wasn't bad but then again things have changed since then." The Devil replied.

"I don't believe any literary works survived to see Third Earth but perhaps I would have enjoyed his work." The pumiger tried to make it sound like he was interested.

"Oh that I doubt. It was in a language, which was called Latin. Something that no one has spoke in over four thousand years, lost to the sands of time." For a moment, the Great Deceiver seemed thoughtful as if he was remembering something from long past years. Tyler wondered just how much he knew of First Earth and what could make the leader of Hell get so misty eyed.

"Anyway, here is Limbo. My good servant Minos judges those who have committed crimes and those who have led good purposeful lives. You see upon the end of religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, we had to change the way we do things. Gods now exist on different levels and under many different names. Souls claimed by these Gods are left here until they can be claimed. Those that the Gods reject or are have known to have committed crimes, Minos sends to their proper places." The Devil explained. Tyler watched as a giant man with a snake-like tail grabbed a man and wrapped his tail around his four times.

"Ah it is off to the fourth circle for the greedy. Shall we continue?" Satan asked as he continued his way down to the next level via the staircase. So far, Tyler wasn't finding Hell to be as scary as it sounded but he had no idea what was in store for them on the lower levels.


	8. Chapter 8

"These have been altered." Panthro said flatly as he spun his chair around to face Tygra and Sahara.

"How so?" Sahara asked.

"The tape was looped to show the same time frame from six pm until six-thirty pm." The panther explained.

"So we now have a time frame for when Ma-Mutt went missing." Tygra said hoping this was a good lead.

"Yes but we also have something else." Panthro turned his seat back to the screen and punched in a code, which brought up the records from the night in question.

"According to the alarm system, the alarm was triggered at six-thirty-one pm. At that precise moment all interior security cameras are put into motion detection mode and all exterior are put on heat detection mode. No images of Ma-Mutt are shown on either camera meaning that if he was in fact kidnapped, someone who had access to the security tapes did it. The only person who could have done that is Tyler." Panthro was blunt. He hated to say it but something had been bothering him about the pumiger's behavior at breakfast and when Lion-O had approached him later about it the panther had become even more suspicious. The altered tapes were icing on the cake.

"Tyler told me he killed a fly on the button and that's why the alarm went off." Sahara defended her fiancé.

"How hard was he trying to kill this fly?" The panther gave her a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean in order for him to depress the button enough to set the alarm off he would need approximately four point nine Newtons of force for five seconds. Smacking a fly with a fly swatter would not create the force to do so." The engineer informed her.

"He didn't use a fly swatter, he used his hand." Again the litah was on the defensive.

"Do you know the odds of slapping a fly and killing it with your hand are? Slim to none because of the speed of the fly and the speed of your hand. That is why fly swatters have holes in them. They allow air to pass through and that doesn't slow your attack as your hand would. I hate to admit this but he's lying. Something happened in the control room and he knows what it was." Panthro stood from his seat.

"He would never lie to me or hurt Ma-Mutt." Sahara refused to believe what she was hearing.

"Then explain everything that occurred here last night? If you cannot then we need to talk to Tyler. If he is innocent than he can clear this up. If he is not then we need him to tell us what he did with Ma-Mutt and why he did it. No one gets a drop on that dog and no one knows that better than you do." Panthro tried to make her understand. It was at this point the litah knew she had to confront the one she loved. It was hard to believe that he would do such a thing but she had no answers to Panthro's questions and Ma-Mutt could be out there somewhere needing her.

"Gather everyone in the council chamber. I'll go and get him." She heaved a sigh.

"Good. We'll end this now and you two can work it all out. I would hate for you to be mated to him only to find out something horrible." Panthro smiled slightly. Hopefully the pumiger would come out squeaky clean and could give them the answers they needed. Sahara raced out of the room.

"Do you think that was wise?" Tygra asked his old friend once she left.

"Hey, Ben-Gali is a great guy and I don't want to insult him but if someone is threatening his son or Tyler decided to do this on his own, Ben deserves to know as does his future mate." The panther responded. Tygra nodded and the two of them left the control room to a ThunderCat in training.

"I hate to wake you but we have to go to a meeting in the council room. Something has come up." Sahara couldn't bear to tell him the truth. Tyler looked at her, immediately suspicious. Perhaps his best-laid plans had backfired. Maybe there really was an emergency though. ThunderCats weren't prone to lying and it hardly seemed like the daughter of Lion-O would lie. Still he was suspicious and he carefully rose from his bed. He pulled his belt on and was glad to find the Mother Box still there.

"It's all right if the King has something we need to discuss then we'd better get down there. Lead the way beautiful." He was laying it on thick hoping the real Tyler would have done so. Sahara smiled slightly but there was an uncomfortable silence that fell between the two. They walked out into the hallway and Tyler took her hand in his. This surely would have been a move the pumiger would have done and Sahara seemed to relax.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Just distracted. No one has seen Ma-Mutt yet. I'm worried." She confided in him.

"I'm sure that he'll turn up. He's a loyal dog and good friend." The pumiger tried to reassure her. The litah only nodded and they continued their walk down the hallway. Cautiously, Tyler looked around. No one was there and now would be his opportunity. Deftly he took his hands and wrapped them around the litah's throat. She gasped and struggled for air. He moved behind her and dragged her off into a room nearby which was unoccupied. Sahara continued to fight but she was losing and within moments she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Such a stupid child. This may not be the way I planned it but not to worry. While the ThunderCats search for us, I'll make sure to complete my task." He laughed in a deep tone, as he would have when he was Mumm-Ra. Grabbing the Mother Box, he punched in the coordinates for his sunken pyramid. Scooping up Sahara, he walked into the conical transportation rays and disappeared.


	9. Chapter 9

Tyler had this feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong. Everything about being in Hell was wrong but there was something else bothering him.

"You've lost interest already? We're only on the third circle." Satan noticed his distracted pupil and turned to him.

"You must forgive me. I am not well and my mind wanders." Tyler replied.

"Lying to me to prove you are brave is not necessary. I can see right through you. I know your mind is on your beloved and that is admirable but you might as well try to forget her. Soon she'll be mated to the fake you and that will be that." The Devil smirked slightly and began the lesson over again.  _If I could communicate with Ma-Mutt; he'd know what to do_ , Tyler thought.

Meanwhile, Ma-Mutt was thinking the same thing. He'd been enrolled in hellhound training and so far he was easily doing his best to make the master believe he was cut out for the job. More than once he'd seen what happened to those who failed the master and he shuddered at the possibility of it happening to him. Death was certainly one way out of this but not one he wanted to take.

"How is our new batch training?" A familiar demon asked the master.

"Safet, so nasty of you to grace us with your presence. So far it seems only Ma-Mutt is up to the challenge." The master explained.

"I'm sure the others will get it Kalil once you resurrect them." Safet smirked knowing that death came to those who failed and only a certain few were chosen to be reborn and retrained.

"Forgive me for asking but what brings you to our humble pit?" Kalil wondered.

"Oh Master wanted me to check in on your trainees. Ma-Mutt has something special slated for him." Safet told him.

"I bet. It is not often I get a dog who can fly." The dog trainer said.

"Very true." Safet nodded.

"Ma-Mutt! Front and Center!" Kalil shouted. The dog quickly left his training circle and headed for the two demons.

"You will accompany Safet to your meeting with Master. I expect you will train all the harder when you get back." The order given, Safet used his boom tube and the two left the Pit of Despair. However they did not land where the dog expected. Instead they landed in a secluded area similar to the cave both he and Tyler had been transported into earlier.

"Listen to me very carefully Ma-Mutt as I will not repeat myself. Tyler will be at this meeting; it will be your only chance to escape from here. I will help you all I can but the rest will be up to you." Safet explained. Ma-Mutt looked at him confused. Why would this demon help him?

"Before you get all mushy on me, just know I am doomed to an eternity here and too many times I have seen those put through what I suffered. I will not stand for it. This will probably be my final mission, as everything will be revealed upon my act of betrayal. I didn't always look like this you know, I used to be a great warrior for good before one wrong decision doomed me forever." That was all the demon was willing to say on the subject and he quickly transported them back to the meeting place on the fourth circle.

"Ah so good of you to join us Ma-Mutt. I trust he was well behaved Safet." Satan said.

"Of course, Master. Very well behaved. Kalil tells me he's at the head of his class." The demon smiled slightly.

"This is excellent news. Tyler you should take a page from Ma-Mutt's book. Throwing yourself into your studies, will always impress those who teach you." The Devil smirked.

"If you'll not be needing me, I'm sure there is someone I need to be punishing." Safet told his master.

"I'm sure there is. We'll be fine by ourselves." Satan nodded and Safet went for his boom tube. He punched in the coordinates and then casually waited for the portal to open. Ma-Mutt saw his opportunity and grabbed Satan's leg.

"Ow! What are you doing you stupid animal?" Satan was enraged and Tyler was confused as Safet grabbed him and threw him into the Boom Tube's path. The pumiger vanished and Safet turned to the ever-living dog.

"Your turn Ma-Mutt!" He shouted. The dog let go of Satan and raced for the portal. Satan attempted to stand but the pain was too great. Ma-Mutt used his powerful jaws and grabbed Safet's pants. The demon was confused by the action but did little to stop him as Ma-Mutt pulled him into the portal. With that the gateway out closed and left Satan shouting in anger.


	10. Chapter 10

Sahara awoke slowly and her hands went to her throat. She could feel the bruises beginning to form as she gently attempted to touch the skin. Looking about the litah recognized the place she'd been thrown into, Mumm-Ra's cells. She attempted to speak, finding it practically impossible.

"He did a number on your neck. I'm just geld you woke up." A familiar voice called out to her from the darkness. She immediately went looking for it and found Tyler chained to the wall. At once the litah was suspicious.

"I understand if you can't believe it's me. Mumm-Ra tricked me and banished Ma-Mutt before I could even do anything. Next thing I know, I wake up here. After I tried to escape, he chained me up." Tyler heaved a sigh. Sahara looked at him unsure of her next step. She had known someone was up to no good and Mumm-Ra would fit that description except she'd banished him years ago.

"I've seen that look before. If you're wondering how Mumm-Ra got out of wherever you sent him, I have no idea. I also have no idea what he'd want with the two of us." The pumiger seemed genuinely out of the loop and his disheveled appearance certainly made his story believable. There were tears in his uniform and energy blast burns on his skin. He'd put up a fight.

"So I see you've met our other companion." Mumm-Ra appeared from nowhere. Sahara turned and leveled her eyes at him.

"As you can see the accommodations have taken a bit of a nose dive but I'm sure you'll find it comfortable enough. How's the throat?" The mummy wondered. When the litah gave him a dirty look, he only smirked.

"I can fix that for you but I have a better idea." Mumm-Ra raised his hands and blasted Sahara with a bolt of energy. She collapsed and he let himself in. He chained her to the wall with the other set of cuffs and smirked.

"You're evil you know that?" Tyler said.

"Oh that I am." The ever-living being snapped his fingers and the pumiger disappeared. Then with the flick of his wrist he closed the cell door and transformed himself back into Tyler. He continued to chuckle to himself completely unaware of what was going on above him.

The real Tyler, Ma-Mutt, and Safet tumbled out of the Boom Tube's transportation path and into the desert. Quickly the pumiger was on his feet demanding an explanation.

"What just happened?"

"I freed you and Ma-Mutt from Satan's claws although now I fear he'll find a way to come after us. I wish you had left me to deal with him." Safet turned to Ma-Mutt who shook his head.

"You helped us escape and Ma-Mutt did the same for you. We're even. Although I'd like to know why and how you did it." Tyler smiled.

"Maybe later. If don't get moving Satan will attempt to come after us. I swapped his Boom Tube for mine in order to get the correct coordinates for landing on New Thundera but that doesn't mean he won't remember what they were." The demon explained.

"Well we can't go anywhere with you looking like you do. No offense but…" the pumiger trailed off.

"None taken. It's easy enough to fix just watch." Safet smirked and closed his eyes. Both Tyler and Ma-Mutt watched as he transformed into a human.

"Fear takes on many forms and as such I have the capability to change mine." The demon explained.

"Awesome. Where to now?" Tyler looked about in the hot dry desert. There wasn't shade for miles and if they didn't find water soon they'd be in trouble.

"I think the Boom Tube could help. Do you know the location of Cat's Lair?" Safet wondered.

"Not in coordinates but certainly in general locations." Tyler said.

"Good enough. The Mother Box doesn't need exact coordinates as long as you picture a place in your mind and hold the box it will do as you tell it. Satan had Darkseid add that feature so when bouncing about Hell he wouldn't land somewhere he didn't want to be." The demon handed the Mother Box over and Tyler pictured the control room of Cat's Lair in his mind. Within an instant the tube opened and the three entered it.


	11. Chapter 11

Tyler, Ma-Mutt, and Safet stepped out of the Boom Tube's path and found themselves in the middle of chaos. Warning alarms were going off loudly overhead and Cheetara spun around from her seat at the large monitor, bo-staff already extended. The main doors burst open and Lion-O was the first one in followed by Panthro, Lea, Tygra, WilyKit, WilyKat, Ben-Gali, Pumyra, and Leo; all of them brandishing their weapons.

"Holy shit!" Tyler immediately stuck his hands in the air, indicating he didn't want to fight. Safet followed suit and even Ma-Mutt sat up on his hind legs and held his paws in the air.

"Ma-Mutt!" Leo was ecstatic to see the loveable old pooch and he dropped his sword before kneeling down and pulling the dog into his arms. Ma-Mutt happily licked the future Lord of the ThunderCats to show how much he'd missed the boy.

"Explain yourself! Where is my daughter?" Lion-O growled bearing his sharp pointed teeth.

"I don't know! I swear to Jaga, I don't know!" Tyler was afraid the Lord of the ThunderCats might run him through right there. Ma-Mutt growled and barked. He left Leo's side and stood in front of Tyler continuing to growl. Lion-O and the others slowly lowered their weapons. If he were the fake Tyler, Ma-Mutt would not have protected him so.

"Son is that you?" Ben-Gali asked.

"It's me, I promise. It's a very long story but if Sahara isn't here then I don't have time to explain it. The easiest thing to say is that Mumm-Ra has her and we have to go." The pumiger said.

"Mumm-Ra? It isn't possible." Panthro snorted.

"Believe me, it is. I'm sure when we have the time we'll explain it but for right now, young Tyler is right we have to find Mumm-Ra." Safet interjected.

"Who are you?" Cheetara eyed him suspiciously.

"Another long story, just please check out Mumm-Ra's pyramid." Tyler pleaded. The cheetah spun around and quickly pulled what remained of the onyx pyramid.

"It's been slowly sinking into the sand ever since Sahara banished Mumm-Ra." She said.

"Yes but it's the only place he would go to regenerate his powers." Lea spoke up.

"Can you get a thermal scan of the place?" Leo asked.

"It wouldn't do any good. At this time of day, we'd only pick up the heat of the desert." Panthro shook his head.

"Every available ThunderCat down to the hanger. It's our best lead and we'd better get down there and quick." Lion-O ordered. Quickly, the group left the control room, finding someone along the way to relieve Cheetara of her post. Tyler could only hope they'd be in time as they boarded their mighty ships and headed for the pyramid.

Sahara woke up to find Mumm-Ra smirking at her through the cell bars. He had some terrible secret and she tried to keep her stomach in check as he continued to look at her.

"Satan had this big elaborate plan to use you to do his bidding. I can only hope it was all worth it." The mummy said.

"What did you do?" Sahara managed to croak out.

"Oh that I doubt you want to know. My way was a little less sloppy at the needed point. Not that I'm complaining, if my cover hadn't been blown perhaps it would have worked better but now well we'll just have to see. No doubt your friends are scrambling around looking for you. They won't find you of course until I want them to find you." Mumm-Ra was acting very nonchalant. It unnerved Sahara and her mind raced with thoughts of what he could have done to her. He saw her discomfort and laughed before heading back to the main chamber of the pyramid.


	12. Chapter 12

Tyler ran from the ThunderStrike, as it landed not even waiting for everyone else to get out. The secret entrance they knew about had sunken into the sands a long time ago. The swirling sands caused by the ThunderCat vehicles had covered up any tracks that would have been evident.

"We have to work quickly!" Tyler was getting very frustrated.

"I have a better idea than digging in the sand." Panthro smirked and climbed back into the finally repaired Feliner.

"Everybody stand back!" He shouted. They all cleared away and the panther aimed the Feliner's mighty missiles at what remained of the pyramid sticking up.

"Box 2!" The panther crowed as he pressed the fire button. The pyramid shook and the portion that was hit exploded.

"Come on!" Lion-O yelled and the group quickly began clearing the mess until they found a hole to squeeze into.

"What in the name of Third Earth?" Mumm-Ra bellowed as the pyramid finished shaking. The Ancient Spirits of Evil looked worse for wear and if another quake hit, he was afraid to lose at least two of them.

"THUNDERCATS!" They warned him.

"Son of a bitch!" He crowed before immediately before transforming into the fierce mummy he could be. He flew off toward his prisoner hoping to get to her before her friends could arrive.

Sahara could feel the tremor and immediately searched for a psychic link with her mother. Her powers had been distorted earlier due to her proximity to the Ancient Spirits of Evil. Unfortunately she was still only getting bits and pieces. Whatever had happened above had not destroyed the Evil statues and they continued to block her powers. She only hoped that whatever had happened above would not leave her forgotten down in the cells. Tyler had vanished and Mumm-Ra had not given any information about what had happened to him. She feared the worst and since she couldn't mentally connect with him, dread began to pool in her mind. Suddenly shouts rang out and she recognized them as the ThunderCats. She tried to call out but her damaged throat would not allow it. She was stuck until someone could come and find her.

Not far from the cells Lion-O had been the first to encounter Mumm-Ra. Despite his early shock of seeing their long time enemy, the Lord of the ThunderCats quickly jumped into action.

"Where is my daughter?" He shouted at the mummy.

"For me to know and you to find out." Mumm-Ra smirked as he snapped his fingers. Down the in cells, Sahara vanished from view. Lion-O growled and lunged at the ever-living being. Cheetara, Panthro, Lea, Ben-Gali, Pumyra, and the ThunderKittens joined in. As they fought the mummy, Tyler, Leo, and Ma-Mutt took off looking for Sahara.

"You don't think they will need help do you?" Leo asked as they chased Ma-Mutt who knew all the places Mumm-Ra could have hidden his master.

"WilyKat's troops weren't far behind us. They'll help them. We have to find your sister and I hope we aren't too late." Tyler was very concerned that Mumm-Ra had had way too much time alone with the litah. Ma-Mutt had his nose to the ground sniffing for Sahara's scent when he picked something up. He howled and ran faster. Leo picked up speed and Tyler was on his heels as the two rounded the next corner to find Ma-Mutt stymied. He spun around in circles smelling the ground unable to understand why he could smell her but not visually locate her.

"Sahara? Are you here?" Tyler called out. The words, 'I'm here' echoed out from somewhere and the three friends looked at one another.

"We can barely hear you. Make some noise." Leo suggested. It was then that they heard clanking of metal and they traced it to the cells, which were directly in front of them.

"How can that be? We can't see her." Tyler asked. Ma-Mutt knew what Mumm-Ra had done and he grabbed the cell door with his powerful jowls. Ripping it from its hinges, he bounded into the space. Tyler and Leo followed.

"Make the sound again." Leo said. Again they heard the metal clanging and this time her voice was clearer.

"We must be right on top of her." Tyler was frustrated as Ma-Mutt flew up to the walls and began feeling for something. When he found what he was looking for, he bit down. The metal chain, which he found, snapped and revealed an arm.

"Ma-Mutt." Came the happy croak. The dog found the other that bound her and quickly bit it. Sahara's entire body now appeared and quickly Tyler was at her side on his knees. She looked at him with a mix of fear doubt. He did the only thing he could think of to convince her and planted his lips on hers. Leo made a gagging noise and they quickly pulled apart.

"It is you." She smiled.

"Come on, we'll get you out of here." Tyler gently scooped her up into his arms and the group made their way back to the main chamber.


	13. Chapter 13

"They have Sahara! Let's go!" Cheetara shouted to her friends. The sooner they got the litah back to Cat's Lair the better.

"No! The mummy is mine!" Lion-O's rage was consuming him.

"I will handle him! Go!" Safet transformed himself into the demon he had become and Mumm-Ra's eyes went wide.

"You!" He couldn't believe it.

"Great Jaga's ghost!" Lea said as the man who had been standing next to her was no longer a man.

"Go ThunderCats! This creature is mine!" Safet ordered and only Tyler hesitated. He couldn't leave the demon behind. Ma-Mutt nudged him and gave him a wink before turning to aide their new friend. The ThunderCats headed back the way they came and escaped with everyone on the team intact. Swiftly they made their way back to Cat's Lair.

"I want the guard doubled and every member of the ThunderGuard alerted that Mumm-Ra is back." Lion-O ordered to one of his generals as they rushed back toward the med bay. Pumyra had them place the litah on the first available bed and she began her medical assessment.

"I want everyone out right now! Tyler and Tygra you stay." His mother was firm but it was necessary so she didn't have people hanging over her while she looked over her patient. Tygra quickly began retrieving supplies to aide in the medical exam.

"Sahara, can you tell me what happened?" Pumyra asked as she gratefully took the supplies from the tiger.

"Mumm-Ra tried to strangle me, my throat…" the litah showed off the bruises and immediately the puma ordered a full body scan to check for what damage had been done. While Tygra was busy doing that the puma turned to her son.

"I need to know what Mumm-Ra was planning. What else should I be looking for?" She wanted to know. Tyler swallowed hard unsure of how to relate what Satan had told him. However Ma-Mutt, who was dragging Safet behind him, interrupted them.

"Oh dear," the puma said as she sank to her knees and took in the sight of the demon. Trying to focus her mind on how all the pieces fit together, she knew that she needed to stay focused or it wouldn't matter and the brave demon would lose his life. Burns from energy blasts covered a good portion of the demon's body and he was losing blood. Ma-Mutt had singed fur as well but he seemed to be holding up better despite the noticeable limp he had.

"Did you get Mumm-Ra?" Tyler asked concerned the mummy would still be on the loose.

"I have sent him back to Hell but at a cost." Safet spoke slowly and gasped for breath.

"I need the Extractor, a gurney, and the vet on the double!" Pumyra shouted to the other medical staff in the room. They leapt into action while she looked the demon over. There was a large gash in his side with something sticking out of it.

"Great Jaga." She murmured as she realized Safet had been stabbed with what appeared to be a stone spear, the tip residing just inches from where she assumed his liver would be. The staff arrived with the gurney and Extractor. It took six of them to lift Safet and get him stabilized.

"Wheel him into surgery one while I scrub up. Tyler help Dr. Pungali with Ma-Mutt when he arrives," his mother had given the order and rushed off. The pumiger kneeled down and got a good look at Ma-Mutt. The dog was a fighter there was no doubt and he had confidence that he would survive but it was tough to see him that way.

"You use the Mother Box to get back here so quickly?" He asked, as he looked over Ma-Mutt. The dog nodded slightly and gave him a lick.

"Don't stress yourself. Tygra has Sahara and she's in good hands," the pumiger had tears welling up in his eyes hoping that Ma-Mutt would fight if he knew Sahara would be better soon.

"I'm here my dear boy. Let's get him up on the bed over there. We'll get him back on his feet in no time." Dr. Pungali smiled as he kneeled down to scoop Ma-Mutt up and get a good look at him.

"You think we can save him Doc? Sahara can't function without him," Tyler wiped his eyes and got up off the floor.

"He'll be fine. This dog came back from the dead, he'll pull through this little problem," Pungali smiled as he worked to cover the burns with ointment and bandages.

"It's just hard to digest it all you know," the pumiger explained as he helped out.

"I totally understand. Family just doesn't have to look like you. Family is whoever loves you and takes care of you, that includes house pets," the doctor smiled and they continued to work in silence until Tygra emerged from the body scan room.

"I'm prepping Sahara for surgery. Her larynx and esophagus have suffered some severe damage but I can fix it if I act now. Where is your mother?" He asked.

"Trying to save Safet," Tyler said.

"All right if she comes out while I'm still in there have her join me for educational purposes. Everything will be fine," the orange tiger tried to comfort the young ThunderCat. Tyler nodded and Tygra was off to try and fix the damage done.


	14. Chapter 14

A few hours passed and the pumiger was beginning to get nervous. His mother had left Safet over an hour and a half ago, the demon was still unconscious which Pumyra had expected, and now she was helping Tygra work on Sahara.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep doing that," a familiar voice made him spin toward the door where the Queen of Thundera stood.

"It needs new tiles anyway," he smirked slightly.

"Don't let Tygra hear you say that. He was all excited when we finished this room," Cheetara walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"It is good to have the real you back," the cheetah said.

"You have no idea how glad I am to be back. I suppose the King wants me to explain everything that has transpired," Tyler swallowed hard as they broke from their hug.

"Yes, in time. Right now he's trying to explain to the clan elders why we've been put on high alert. Just because Safet claims to have sent Mumm-Ra back to wherever he came from doesn't mean he'll stay there," the Queen told him.

"Probably explains why I haven't seen him or Leo down here in awhile," the pumiger nodded.

"That and unfortunately the world does not stop when a ThunderCat gets injured. If it did, our enemies would have a field day," she reminded him. Despite the fact that she was Princess of Thundera, Protector of the Future King of New Thundera, the world could not stop. Trouble was always around the corner and diplomacy would need the proper attention. Allies would need to be notified, as their assistance may be required. Tyler understood all of this but it didn't make it hurt any less.

"My friends, how is our Princess doing?" Lucius entered the room followed by some of his comrades.

"Still in surgery, I'm afraid. Tygra had promised me everything would be fine," the pumiger smiled slightly.

"Then it will be so. Have no doubt young one," Mongul smiled and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The Monkian had been a good friend and instructor and the two had formed a strong friendship.

"Mongul is right. Tygra would not say such things if he did not believe it," Nafir smiled.

"It is good of you to come brothers. I am sorry we didn't have enough time to include you in today's battle. I'm sure Mumm-Ra would have had a heart attack upon seeing the transformation that has occurred in his absence," Cheetara smiled and hugged the three Mutants.

"It would have been an honor to fight alongside you. It was a pity our duties did not allow us to join you," Lucius said.

"Lion-O and I have already discussed this and at the next ThunderCat meeting we intend to bring it up. If enough are in favor, you three will become the first non-Thunderian ThunderCats. Although I suppose we may have to change the title of our group then," the cheetah continued to smile.

"You honor us with your trust, My Queen," Mongul bowed.

"You honor us with your commitment to New Thundera and Third Earth. Not only that, you would then have good excuses to come out and kick some butt," she waggled her eyebrows. This got a laugh out of everyone.

"Good to hear everybody is in a good mood. I'll add to that by saying the reconstructive surgery was a success. With her healing powers, I imagine she'll be back on her feet in no time and talking just as fast," Tygra said upon walking into the room with Pumyra.

"Excellent news! When can we see her?" Tyler asked.

"In the morning. I'll call you to come and see her. Right now she, Safet, and Ma-Mutt need their rest so everybody scoot," the puma ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Lucius winked and the group quickly dispersed back to their duties and the upcoming dinner hour.


	15. Chapter 15

While the ThunderCats rejoiced, Satan was in no mood to hear what Mumm-Ra had to tell him. Not only had one of his most trusted demons betrayed him but worse still his plans had fallen apart.

"There is one upside your Evilness," Mumm-Ra said from his kneeling position. Upon being sent back to Hell, Satan had had the mummy grabbed and chained to the floor until he decided what to do with him.

"And what would that be?" The ruler of Hades asked.

"I injected the litah with my DNA in a mutation serum. No matter who she mates with her cubs will always be born with my DNA instead of hers," Mumm-Ra said.

"How is this an upside? Without the use of the XX chromosome, she has been effectively turned infertile. Don't you remember the genetic experiments of Second Earth?" At this point, Satan was about ready to strangle the mummy.

"I do not but that is not the point, the simplest way to correct it is to inject her mate with female DNA. The system would be backward but it should in theory still work," Mumm-Ra offered.

"Oh and how do you suggest we go and do that? Safet has essentially blown our cover and Tyler will inform them of what has happened," the red demon said.

"Yes but she is not pregnant as you wished. They will never think to check her DNA. We have effectively ended her chances for descendents. Think of the possibilities if we were to do the same to her brother. Lion-O's family reign would end with his son. There is no clear line of who will take the throne after Leo. Some amount of chaos would ensue and in that turmoil, they could be crushed," the ever-living mummy told his master.

"Once Leo became King there would have to be someone the Sword of Omens would choose along with his successor," Satan reminded him.

"But not all who wield the Sword are made King. Thunderian law states a King must be of the Lion clan. Leo and Sahara belong to both the lion and cheetah clans and their father's blood makes them eligible for such a role but with the discovery that they cannot produce children, it would be up to Leo to choose a successor," Mumm-Ra explained.

"This is getting very involved. There has to be an easier way of doing things. I do not wish to wait another sixty or seventy years to have a son and our best option to bring down the ThunderCats would be to have one born of Lion-O's children," his master shook his head.

"Why don't we split the difference then?" The mummy wondered.

"How do you mean?" Satan raised an eyebrow.

"The simplest way to end Lion-O's family future reign is to kidnap Leo and kill Sahara," the words left Mumm-Ra's mouth with ease. Satan's eyes lit up.

"A brilliant idea to be sure but how do we do that without a confrontation?" His master wondered.

"Do you have any control over Safet? If so we'd never have to leave the comfort of our surroundings. You get Safet to kill Sahara and bring Leo back here. Then you can exact your revenge on the demon. It's three for the price of one!" Mumm-Ra crowed.

"All right mummy, you have earned your freedom. Let us put the plan into action," Satan smirked as he snapped his fingers releasing the ever-living being from his chains. Then he focused his mind and tried to reach Safet.


	16. Chapter 16

"Good evening Safet. You're looking good considering what happened," Pumyra smiled. The demon slowly sat up and gave her a smile as she adjusted the bed for him to be comfortable.

"How is Sahara doing?" He asked.

"She's gone into one of her healing trances. It will probably be morning before we find out," the puma let him know.

"That's good. And my partner in crime?" Safet motioned his head toward the sleeping Ma-Mutt.

"From what Doctor Pungali has told me our ever-living dog should make a full recovery. Seems we made it out ok in this round," Pumyra smirked.

"Yes I guess that is true. No one has died and Mumm-Ra is back where he belongs. I…" he didn't finish the sentence as his eyes went wide.

"You ok?" The puma asked concerned about his sudden behavior change.

"Satan… is…" was all he got out before he found himself getting out of bed. Pumyra knew she wasn't strong enough to stop him and she ran for the wall, which held the emergency button. After Colonel Boogan's attempt to kill everyone in the med bay, Panthro had installed the button and when the puma slammed her palm into button, she could hear the alarm as it was sounded.

Lion-O was the first one through the door, the Sword of Omens growling. He saw Pumyra making every attempt to hold the demon back from getting to Sahara and he quickly pointed the Sword at him.

"HO!" He shouted as a blast of energy left the blade and struck Safet squarely between the shoulders. In his weakened state, the demon fell forward, pinning Pumyra between him and Sahara's bed. She cried out in pain and it was Panthro who lifted the heavy demon off her. The panther put him down on his bed and Cheetara helped to strap him down while Tygra looked over Pumyra.

"Baby!" Ben-Gali rushed over to his wife's side and looked at his brother tiger for answers knowing all too well that her injuries sustained during the fall of Cat's Lair during the mistaken Lockti invasion still plagued her with pain.

"I'm fine but I'm going to have some nasty bruises," she told him.

"You've got more than that. His weight broke some of your ribs and your left wrist. Come on, let's get you into X-ray so I'm sure I didn't miss anything," Tygra carefully stood her up with the help of Ben-Gali.

"What the hell happened in here?" Panthro asked, silently praying to Jaga the straps would hold Safet down.

"There is no way Safet got out of bed on his own power. I saw him not two hours ago and he was still unconscious. Not only that the Extractor is good but it isn't that good," Cheetara shook her head as she silenced the alarm.

"I agree. Something must have forced him up and out of bed. Until Tygra and Pumyra get back, I think we should keep a close eye on him," Lion-O nodded.

"What's going on down here?" Tyler rushed into the room, hoping the alarm hadn't been because of a medical emergency.

"Something is wrong with Safet. He tried to kill Sahara and he almost succeeded with your mother," Leo spoke up. Tyler looked like he was going to collapse and Panthro grabbed him.

"Just some broken bones for your mom. She'll be fine. Tygra and your father are helping her," the panther explained.

"We heard the alarm is everyone all right?" Lucius asked as he and Mongul entered the room.

"How did you guys get here so fast?" Lion-O asked wondering how they had made it from their new homes in the village.

"We were down in the garage looking at that old SkyCutter you had," Mongul explained. Doing the math it made sense they arrived when they did and the Lord of the ThunderCats quickly filled them in.

"We are glad that everyone will be ok, however it seems we have a problem with our new friend," Lucius said.

"It doesn't track. Why help Tyler and then try to kill Sahara?" Cheetara asked.

"Until we get to the bottom of this I want Safet sedated and a full guard detail on him," Lion-O ordered. Quickly the group went about setting up watch shifts and finding the necessary medication.

"Something isn't right. Safet isn't responding," Satan cursed under his breath from the safety of his home.

"Then there is only thing left to do," Mumm-Ra said.

"Prepare for a journey to New Thundera," the demon smirked.


	17. Chapter 17

Morning came quickly to the ThunderCats, who had not gotten much sleep the night before. Pumyra lay resting in a bed near Sahara and Safet had been moved to a more secure corner of the med bay. Ma-Mutt was in his original spot but wishing he were closer to his master. Tygra had fallen asleep in his chair at his desk, writing up the medical reports of the previous night's incidents. Tyler had passed out in between Sahara's and Pumyra's bed on the floor, his father only a few feet away using the wall and floor nearby as a bed. Lion-O was asleep in an uncomfortable chair that was near his daughter's bed and Cheetara found comfort in the chair next to her husband. Outside in the hallway, Lucius and Mongul had been keeping watch while Panthro and Lea manned the control room. Leo had managed to get babysitting duties and was probably the only one who had at least four hours of sleep under his belt.

The sun didn't care though as it rose high in the sky over the distant mountains. Things needed to be done and it was about time people got to them.

"We haven't watched the sun come up in a long time," Panthro commented as he gave a slight smile at the scene before him on the monitors.

"The only reason we're watching it now is because Snarf has been up all night making some of his strong coffee," Lea shook her head. The panther turned to his wife and waggled his eyebrows.

"Are you saying we don't do romantic stuff anymore?" he teased.

"I'm pretty sure the last time we did something romantic we were covered in oil and Thundrillium and in desperate need of a shower," she smirked.

"Hey now I said we didn't have to go back to our room. The locker room was right around the corner. You insisted that we would not be interrupted and that our shower was the best place to do it," he reminded her.

"Yes well I didn't know the wall hadn't set up properly. I mean who did Tygra hire to do that anyway?" The lioness tried to defend herself. Needless to say in that latest escapade, their private shower had become unusable for a period of six months while the walls and plumbing could be replaced.

"Hey babe, you'll get no argument from me. I love it when we have a drought for a few weeks. Makes it all the more exciting," Panthro smirked. He had his eyes trained on her instead of the monitor and she made him refocus on the task at hand by grabbing his spikes and pulling him close.

"When this mess is all over, I'll show you what after a drought can really be like," she whispered waggling her eyebrows.

"I love it when you talk dirty," the panther teased. The lioness was about to say something else when alarm bells went off throughout the Lair.

"What the hell is going on?" Panthro asked pulling his attention away from the lioness. A dot on the screen was all he could see at the moment and he quickly ordered the computer to zoom in with the poke of a few buttons.

"Magnification one-hundred and fifty percent."

"Is that what I think that is?" Leanna asked.

"Magnification two-hundred and fifty percent," he ignored her question and punched the buttons again as the computer did as what it was told.

"Mumm-Ra!" Leanna breathed as Panthro hit the COMM button and made the announcement over the Lair which sent everyone scrambling.


	18. Chapter 18

Lion-O raced down to the hallway and passed through the control room doors as they opened. Before he could say anything Panthro told him the battle plan.

"I've got the ballista firing along with the short range missiles and the ThunderGuard are manning the anti-aircraft guns out front. We'll nail this bastard before he gets within a hundred yards of here."

"Exactly what I want to hear. I'm heading up to the Cat's Head," the lion nodded and disappeared out the doors again. He smiled slightly to Cheetara as she put on a burst of speed and headed to the main doors with WilyKit, Ben-Gali, and Tyler in hot pursuit. As he wound his way up the staircase, he caught up to Leo.

"Last reports have Mumm-Ra deflecting what we've been throwing at him. Word has been sent to the locals to evacuate the area. Lucius and Mongul are rallying the Mutant troops. Backup is on the way," the litah smiled.

"Excellent work son," Lion-O was proud of his son for filling his role so quickly. More and more he was convinced the young cub would be a great leader of his people.

"So what's the plan?" Leo asked.

"I'm going to give him a taste of the Sword and we'll find out," the King of Thundera winked. Mumm-Ra would be using a lot of his energy to deal with the missiles, ballista, and anti-aircraft weapons, so with any luck the Sword of Omens would zap the rest of his powers and send him stumbling. Then they could capture the mummy and find out what his evil plans were.

Once at the Cat's Head, Lion-O stepped out into its mighty jaws. He leveled the blade of his powerful weapon at Mumm-Ra, who continued to inch closer to Cat's Lair.

"HO!" He shouted. Energy shot forth from the mighty sword and caught Mumm-Ra squarely in the chest. The effect was fantastic as he began falling out of the sky.

"Catch him!" Cheetara screamed to the ground troops, who abandoned their posts and quickly moved to prepare for the mummy's landing only fifty feet away from the second anti-aircraft gun. It was only a matter of seconds and Mumm-Ra hit the ground so hard that he left a crater in the shape of his body.

"Restrain him!" The cheetah ordered and the soldiers were on him. They were no match for him however as he surprised everyone by tossing the burly cats aside.

"You'll pay for that ThunderCats!" He bellowed as he lifted himself from the hole he'd created.

"Not as much as you will," Lucius smirked. Mumm-Ra stood there in shock.  _Mutants?_

"Boys why don't we give our favorite mummy a warm welcome?" Cheetara smirked. They hardly needed an invitation as the Mutants and ThunderGuard, along with the ThunderCats, jumped into battle with their foe.

Lion-O raced down the stairs then the hallway, followed closely by his son. They left the main doors and within moments had made their way to where their friends were trying to subdue the mummy. His strength didn't seem to weaken despite everything that was going on and it concerned Lion-O.

"HO!" he bellowed as he aimed the Sword at the mummy's forehead. The energy blast hit its mark and Mumm-Ra fell backwards allowing the group to quickly shackle his legs and arms together.

"Hello big and ugly. Prepared to leave this planet again?" Lion-O asked.

"No matter what you do you will never snuff me out. Besides the damage as already been done. I'm just here to finish the job," Mumm-Ra smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Ben-Gali wanted to know.

"Do what you want, I'll only be sent back stronger than before," Mumm-Ra waited for the fatal blow but it never came. Instead Lion-O said,

"You will answer Ben-Gali's question and then you will learn the meaning of pain." No one was really sure what the lion was getting at but they could see by the look in his eyes, he meant every word.


	19. Chapter 19

While the ThunderCats were attempting to interrogate Mumm-Ra, Satan slipped into the Lair past their defenses disguised as a fly. Carefully he avoided being swatted and found the med bay. There he discovered his once faithful servant Safet heavily guarded and out cold. He cursed his bad luck but moved to the other side of the room to find what he figured was a sleeping Sahara. Pumyra was in the bed next to her engaging Tygra in some sort of medical conference. Ignoring them, he silently landed on Sahara's pillow and worked his way toward her nose. Once inside her body he could control it. From there she would have the power to help him destroy everything the Lord of the ThunderCats held dear.

"Tell us what we want to know!" Lion-O yelled at the mummy, holding the tip of the Sword of Omens to his nemesis's nose.

"What are you going to do ThunderCat? You're held to a higher standard. You won't kill me. More importantly you can't. The Sword won't let you," Mumm-Ra smirked.

"The Sword may not allow him to but you'd be surprised what I am willing to do," Lucius stepped forward holding his battle-axe. From behind him, his son, Basheer, was surprised by his father's behavior. Never one to want to hurt anyone, Lucius had always taught him to give your enemy quarter for if you did not the same would happen to your comrades.

"Ah so you'll get your new ally to do the dirty work?" Mumm-Ra chuckled.

"I'd be more than happy to dispatch you for my King. Now tell us what we want to know," the reptile responded. It seemed as though the mummy was about to squeal when a horrible roar went up from inside the Lair. Everyone froze at its ferocity and volume.

"My guess is you'll figure it out for yourselves," Mumm-Ra said hoping that's what he thought it was as the roaring continued. Lion-O looked to the other ThunderCats and it was Tyler who first ran off toward the Lair. The others were in hot pursuit leaving the mummy to be looked after by the Mutants and ThuderGuard.

The ThunderCats raced inside the Lair and followed the deafening noise to the med bay where they found Pumyra, Tygra, Panthro, and Leanna out in the hallway along with the ThunderGuard members who were supposed to be guarding Safet.

"What in the name of Jaga is going on in there?" Lion-O shouted as the roaring finally died down.

"Something is wrong with Sahara. Her roaring woke up Safet who yelled at us to get away for our safety. We got the other patients out but when we tried to get back in the door would not open," Tygra explained as he hoped his ears would stop ringing.

"Stand back!" Lion-O ordered. He stood back and lifted the Sword.

"HO!" A blast of energy shot out of the weapon and blasted the door off its frame. They charged into the room and found Safet struggling with Sahara. Despite his height and muscle mass advantage, the demon was barely keeping it together as Sahara tried to kill him with the closest sharp instrument she could find, a scalpel.

"Get out!" Safet yelled concerned that if he couldn't control the litah that she would try to kill the others. He knew deep down the only way this was happening was because Satan had come to New Thundera bent on revenge and he was probably the only one who could stop her.

"Not on your life!" Lion-O said knowing that he couldn't let his daughter call for the Sword or they would all be in danger. Doing the only thing he could think of, he leveled the Sword at his daughter, begging Jaga to forgive him, and shouted,

"HO!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some violence in this chapter. STRONG T rating.

The blast found its intended target and Sahara dropped to the ground. Safet immediately dropped to his knees and checked for a pulse. She was alive but barely. He cursed his bad luck. Had the blast killed her, Satan would only have a few moments to escape before he'd be trapped inside her forever. Now with her alive the demon would have to take matters into his own hands. Her pretended to start CPR but in fact he began suffocating the litah by forcing carbon dioxide into her lungs.

"Get back demon!" Lion-O ripped Safet away from his daughter, immediately realizing what he was doing, and kneeled down to have a look at her. Tygra started to move toward the injured litah when Safet shouted,

"You don't understand! The only way to force Satan out is to kill her!" The ThunderGuard in charge of keeping him contained quickly entered the room and forced him to the ground with their blasters and handcuffed him.

BARK! Ma-Mutt knew the demon was right and wished he could somehow vocalize what he meant. Lion-O looked down at his unconscious daughter and had no idea what to do next. Unfortunately the situation was taken out of his hands when Sahara's eyes suddenly opened. Her hand shot forth and she smirked.

"Sword of Omens come to my hand!" Lion-O did everything he could to prevent the blade from leaving its place in his hand but the Sword had to obey the Protector and soon it was in Sahara's hand.

"Bye Daddy," the evil look in her eyes betrayed her intentions. Lion-O tried to get out of the way but she plunged the blade into his abdomen. Pulling it out, Sahara stood.

"The traitor was right you should have killed me when you had the chance. HO!" She aimed the Sword at Safet and the blast hit him squarely in the back between the shoulder blades. Cheetara charged into the room and made her way toward her husband with Tygra only a few feet away. The only thing that would save him now was quick medical attention and she was going to get him out of there. However her daughter's reflexes were as fast as her own and another blast was fired from the Sword. It missed but only slightly as it hit the cheetah's right leg and she tumbled to the ground, blood began to trickle out of the wound, which was dangerously close to an artery. Then she blasted Tygra in the shoulder, fracturing it.

"Sahara! Look what you've done!" Tyler shouted as he ran toward her. Suddenly the litah froze along with everyone else, confused as to what was happening.

"Get out of my head!" The litah screamed at the Master of all Evil.

"Not going to happen! The power inside this body is amazing. With the Sword under my control I can rule the universe!" Satan laughed maniacally. The group watched in horror as they two people occupying the same body fought for control.

"I'll not allow it! It is time to fulfill your destiny!" A familiar voice escaped Sahara's lips and everyone immediately recognized it as Mumm-Rana.

"Sword of Omens, extract this demon!" Everyone watched in horror as Sahara took the weapon and plunged it into her own stomach. She twisted the blade and pulled it back out. The Sword clattered to the ground covered in blood. There was a smile on the litah's face as she collapsed to the ground.

"No!" Tyler ran to her side. Seeing the mess before him he tried to do as his mother taught him to stop the bleeding. The ThunderGuard brushed past him and evacuated the injured Lord of the ThunderCats along with Tygra and Cheetara.

"You have to let me go," once again Mumm-Rana's voice rang in the pumiger's ear.

"Where is Sahara?" He wanted to know.

"Gone," the word was spoken at almost a whisper, blood began to drip from Sahara's mouth and in an instant her last breath escaped her lips.


	21. Chapter 21

Lion-O opened his eyes to find himself plugged into every possible monitoring machine in the Lair. He had no idea how long had passed since he had lost consciousness and the last thing he remembered was Sahara stabbing him with his own sword. The lion looked around and was immediately alerted to the presence of Tygra, Safet, and Pumyra. He did not see his daughter and was immediately concerned.

"My King!" one of Tygra's medical interns cried out before rushing to his side to check his vitals. The orange tiger left his seat upon hearing the intern and came over. His shoulder was bandaged and his arm was in a sling.

"Lion-O, it is good to have you back," Tygra smiled and he waved the intern off.

"It's good to be back. What happened to you old friend?" The lion asked as he tried to sit up.

"My shoulder was fractured in the fight. Not to worry I'll still be able to use my other arm for duty," the tiger joked, placing it on the Lord of the ThunderCats' shoulder, instructing him to lie down.

"You've been touch and go for the last three days. I suggest taking it easy," Tygra instructed.

"Do as he says Lion-O. Don't make me come over there," Pumyra called out from her bed, shaking her broken wrist at him.

"Yes ma'am," he smiled before turning back to the tiger, "What happened after I passed out?" Tygra was about to answer when the med bay doors opened. Panthro had fixed them immediately following the rush to get medical attention for the wounded was over.

"Lion-O!" Cheetara beamed as she hobbled into the room on crutches. Her right leg was bandaged and she avoided putting much weight on it.

"Tara!" He was very happy to see she was all right. It concerned him that the children hadn't followed her in.

"I think I'll leave filling you in, to your wife," the orange tiger gave a weak smile and went to check on his other patients.

"They haven't told me anything what is going on?" The King of Thundera asked his mate as she carefully settled herself into the chair next to his bed.

"That's because they are afraid of how you'll react," the cheetah heaved a sigh, the smile she'd displayed earlier wiped from her face. She sucked in her breath loudly and started to tell him all of the things he needed to know.

"But what about Sahara?" He asked when she'd finished.

"Tyler and Ma-Mutt haven't left her side, they refuse to until we…" tears started to form and the cheetah couldn't hold it in anymore,

"She's dead." Lion-O shook his head and refused to believe it as Cheetara wept.

"WHY JAGA? WHY?" He shouted before the Lord of the ThunderCats burst into tears. At that moment, Cheetara carefully climbed into the bed with him. For a long while they just held each other, mourning the loss of their daughter.

Jaga heard his young ward's cries and shook his head from his hiding place in the Astral Plane. Mumm-Rana walked up to him and pulled him from his thoughts.

"Jaga, we must do as the Book of Omens foretold. It is her destiny," the good mummy said.

"How can I do that to her? After all she's been through? Haven't the ThunderCats suffered enough?" He spun around, anger clearly displayed on his normally placid face.

"It is the only way to save her soul. You must do your part and I will do mine. Only then can she return to the ones she loves," Mumm-Rana was firm. He knew she was right. Upon Sahara's death, the Devil was returned to Hell and unfortunately he had taken the litah's soul with him. Forced into purgatory by deeds she could not have prevented, the only escape was to defeat the Guardian of Hell's Gate without the use of her powers. If she could not defeat the Guardian then her soul would be doomed for all eternity.

While the ThunderCats were working furiously to save their leader, Mumm-Ra had vanished from their custody thanks to his boom tube. Satan had granted him a new position since they had practically accomplished their goal. With Sahara dead, Lion-O seriously wounded, it left Leo an easy target for later and this new position would allow the mummy the power to ensure the daughter of his most hated rival stayed put. He would be the best Guardian of Hell's Gate Satan had ever seen, anything to prove his worth.


	22. Chapter 22

"Sahara…" the voice floated to the litah and she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around realizing she did not recognize the place she was in.

"Sahara…" again the voice called to her and she attempted to get up. When she found she couldn't she looked to her hands and feet and discovered she'd been chained to the red stone platform she was laying on.

"Who's there? Where am I? What's going on?" The questions escaped her lips with ease. The healing trance had worked and she was glad to have her voice back. She did not remember what had happened in the Lair's med bay and for the time being she was very confused. Suddenly next to her stone slab there appeared Jaga. The litah practically had a heart attack.

"Jaga…" his name barely left her lips before he cut her off.

"I cannot stay long, just long enough to tell you in order to return to New Thundera you must defeat Mumm-Ra in hand to hand combat," he told her.

"But…" again he did not let her finish.

"I cannot help you, I can only tell you what is required. Now your captor is coming. Free yourself and complete the task…" with that the former golden son of Thundera vanished. Sahara was confused and hurt by the wise one's message until the door to the room opened and in walked a red demon she recognized.

"Satan!" The name escaped her lips but she wasn't sure how she knew whom that was standing before her.

"Ah so you do remember. Taking over your body had an unforeseen side effect but the prize was worth it," he smirked.

"What am I doing here?" She asked.

"Paying your penance for all eternity. That's what happens when you try to kill your father and manage to mangle a good number of your comrades along the way. Oh and the small matter of letting me take over your body," he continued. Sahara shook her head. She refused to believe what he was saying.

"Don't believe me, I don't care, either way I get someone to replace Safet and he gets a new pet," Satan smirked and from behind him Mumm-Ra entered the room.

"Payback is a bitch," the mummy smirked. The litah's thoughts raced. How was she supposed to get herself out of this one? Her powers refused to respond to the commands her brain had been screaming. She didn't have long to think about it when Mumm-Ra and Satan began unlocking the chains that held her in place. Before she could do anything, the mummy, in his muscular form, lifted her off the table by holding both her wrists in one of his hands.

"You'll be doing everything I tell you, Thunderbrat. Everything…" he let the thought hang there and she swallowed hard before smirking at him.

"That is if you can catch me," she said. With one powerful move her leg struck out and found pay-dirt in the form of the mummy's family jewels. He howled and dropped her as he fell to his knees. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was running.

"You might want to ice those before you go at her again," Satan chuckled as he left the mummy to do what he needed to do. Despite the fact the litah had a big start, there was nowhere she could go that he wouldn't find her; it was only a matter of time. Slowly he lifted himself up and hobbled out of the room.

Sahara ran for what seemed like forever until she was out of breath. Her surroundings confused her and she looked for a good place to hide. However the flat red terrain held nothing useful. The sounds of wailing carried to her ears and she knew that no matter what she had to continue. Until Mumm-Ra was defeated, she would have to find a way to survive. Breathing deeply, she once again took off running until the terrain changed and she found a cave in which to hide. Once inside she rested and planned her next move.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Violence and language in this chapter. Probably not enough for a Strong T rating but enough to give you a heads up.

Back on New Thundera, Tyler and Ma-Mutt sat in the morgue, refusing to leave unless it was a quick trip to the bathroom. Neither one was ready to admit to themselves that their best friend was gone. The doors to the space opened and in walked Lucius.

"Evening boys," he gave a slight smile. It was now encroaching on the fifth day since Sahara's death and Ben-Gali had finally told his son that Snarf was not allowed to bring their meals down to the morgue anymore. The only way to move on was to leave and Tyler wasn't ready to do so.

"If you're here to try to convince us to leave, good luck. My own father and Queen Cheetara couldn't get me to leave," the pumiger said as he rose from his seat near the cooler door, which was keeping his beloved safe. Ma-Mutt gave a small bark to indicate he was in agreement.

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it. The Queen just asked me to check on you. She is concerned for your well being," the reptile explained.

"If anything I should be concerned for her. I've only seen her down here once," Tyler shook his head.

"Her responsibility as Queen and acting ruler along with her son Prince Leo, does not allow her to mourn as you do but do not doubt she mourns! Every waking moment she can is spent with her mate mourning the loss of their daughter and more than once I have caught Leo crying while on duty! They cannot afford to let their guard down and yet they can barely keep it together! You must not be so harsh on them," Lucius calmed down.

"They want to bury her," Tyler collapsed back into his seat and for the first time in days wept. Ma-Mutt put his head on top of the boy's feet and Lucius moved closer, enveloping him into a bear hug.

"They must do it not only so that they can move on but so that she can move on. She must be allowed to be buried and given what all warriors are due when they leave this world. Tradition commands it; the sanctity of her soul demands it. It will be hard but she will be in good company. You should know that better than anyone, you share a name with what I'm told was a brave lynx who died protecting those he loved," the reptile said. Tyler nodded and they just stood there for a while, missing the litah that had touched their lives.

Sahara knew she didn't have much time. Guessing that her captors would have someway to track her, she did everything she could to be ready.

"I know you're in there bitch and I know Mumm-Rana's eternal soul did not make the trip. You cannot defeat me. Come out and I may go easy on you," Mumm-Ra stood at the mouth of the cave.

"No chance in…" she paused, "in hell." Not a good comeback but it was enough to aggravate the mummy as he entered the cavern. Once he did so, she struck. Running as fast as her legs would carry her and brandishing a club made from a cave stalagmite, the litah landed a vicious blow to the mummy's torso. He howled and tried to swipe at her but he missed.

"Getting slow in your old age mummy," she teased him and went at him again. Again she landed a direct hit and Mumm-Ra missed her.

"You can't speed by me forever. Much like your whore mother you'll lose your ability and then I will have my revenge," he cursed.

"I'm already dead, what are you going to do to me?" Sahara showed no fear but she knew he was right. Eventually her speed would give out and then it would be down to brute strength. She heaved a sigh and made one more pass at the mummy. The combined weight of her makeshift club and the fact that she was tired from her earlier passes made her just slow enough for the mummy to grab her weapon. The litah was going to let go but before she could do much, her foe whipped the club around and she flew into the cave wall. She cried out in pain and collapsed.

"This ends now. You will be subservient to me and you will enjoy it," the mummy punched her in her gut.

"Never you son of a cat-eating whore," she spit the blood in her mouth out at him. The ancient Egyptian's anger grew and delivered the next blow to her right leg, breaking it.

"Let's see how you run now," he spat. Sahara's reply was to cough up more blood and spit it on him.

"I'll break your jaw!" Mumm-Ra went to punch and the litah ducked. His hand hit the cave wall and his fingers broke. He screamed and she chuckled. Using his unbroken hand he grabbed her uniform and threw her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

"Obey me!" He commanded.

"Doesn't matter how many times you say it, it won't happen," she coughed.

"Then you will spend all eternity in chains," the mummy went to knock her out and she moved her head. His other hand landed with less force than a usual punch but it still made enough of an impact with the dirt to damage his fingers.

"I win," she chuckled as he howled. He moved back and she kicked him with her good leg square in the jaw, knocking him over.

"Sweet dreams Princess," Sahara smirked and began to crawl by him when she vanished into thin air.


	24. Chapter 24

Tyler and Ma-Mutt were once again alone in the morgue and the two were having a tough time staying awake. Lucius had snuck food down there for them and then went off to spend the evening with his own family a few hours before. With their stomachs full and not much conversation to be had, the two were nodding off.

"I'm moving to the table," the pumiger told the loyal hound. Ma-Mutt nodded and made his way over to the blanket, which Leo had brought him. Curling up on the warm surface, the dog was out like a light. Tyler climbed up onto the nearest empty slab and made himself comfortable.

"Good night Ma-Mutt. Good night Sahara," he mumbled as he drifted off into a deep sleep. Most of the rest of the building was already asleep by the time the two decided to go to bed and with the exception of Ben-Gali who was on duty in the Control Room.

BOOM! Suddenly a blast woke the Lair up. The alarms sounded and the entire facility leapt to their feet. Were they under attack? Did a piece of equipment fail and did they need to evacuate? Everyone, who could move, headed to the Control Room while the medical staff prepared to move everyone who needed assistance.

Ben-Gali left his post despite protocol dictating he should not. The blast had originated from the basement and knocked out the security camera along with setting off the fire protection system in that zone. The only thing down there was the morgue. The subbasements were reading all clear and that meant his son was in the direct path of whatever had happened.

He burst through the stairway-landing door and ran down the hall as the sprinkler system poured water onto every surface it touched. It soaked him to the bone but he ignored it as the sound of Ma-Mutt barking urged him forward. He reached the morgue doors and found it odd that they were still intact. Bursting through them, the white tiger expected to find destruction and possibly his son lying injured or worse.

Up in the control room, Leo was looking around for Ben-Gali. Others had gathered and were now looking to the young Prince for their next order. Panthro seeing the litah in trouble stepped forward.

"Shut the alarms off," he jerked his head toward the button and Lea, who was standing nearby, turned off the loud alarm.

"What happened?" One of the ThunderGuard asked.

"Fire suppression has been deployed in the basement…" the words caught in Leo's throat. Then without another word he took off running.

"Lea, make an announcement to evacuate then get down to sickbay and help out. There could be structural damage down there and we need to get everyone out. The rest of you, after him!" The panther ordered and the group made their way out of the door. Lea quickly made the announcement and then took off for the sickbay.

Leo burst through the same stairway door that Ben-Gali passed through only minutes before. The sprinklers were still gushing and he almost lost his footing as he ran down the hall. Seeing the morgue doors closed he sprinted for them and quickly burst into the room. He didn't realize Ben-Gali was still standing in the same spot he'd been when he entered the room and the litah bowled him over. The water-covered floor, made them skid into the nearest examination table. There not ten feet away on the floor sat Tyler with Sahara leaning over him with her arms wrapped around his neck. Water cascaded over them but neither seemed to notice their surroundings or companions as their lips met with a passion neither had thought possible. When the need for air became a necessity, they parted and held one another for a moment before Ma-Mutt alerted them to their company by barking. Tyler then moved to a kneeling position and carefully scooped the litah into his arms before standing. Heading for the door, Tyler turned to the two on the floor and asked,

"You coming?"


	25. Chapter 25

Panthro stood inside the morgue along with Tygra and their crews of engineers and architects. The fire suppression system had been turned off and the excess water pushed down floor drains. Cleaning crews were working diligently around the crews who were trying to determine what structural damage had been caused, if any.

"Did she offer any explanation?" Panthro asked his long time friend as he watched his engineers work.

"She didn't. Tyler brought her to me to check on and she basically passed out. Too much exertion is all I can figure, no other apparent injuries; even her original wound is healed. Despite my efforts to keep an eye on her personally, Pumyra basically kicked me out of the hospital room, told me despite being in a wheelchair she'd keep an eye on her. I have every faith in the hospital staff for tending to our injured but it concerns me when it comes to Sahara. Everyone knew she was dead. Cheetara made the announcement herself, I mean does that make her look like a liar?" The tiger was very concerned at the press nightmare that was already surrounding the incident. No one outside of the Lair staff had been allowed into the building due to the fact that they were unsure of the stability but also because the general public did not know what Sahara's powers were and should word spread of what had transpired it could cause the Tribal Elders to want answers.

"I think we'll worry about that later. Right now we have to come up with some sort of story to explain how a three foot by three foot solid steel door blew off it's hinges, flew across the room, destroying the security camera and ripping two sprinkler heads off of their pipes in the ceiling," the panther pointed out. Tygra nodded. The door had imbedded itself into the wall just above the desk where the coroner's computer was sitting. Had he been in there at the time, it would have killed him.

"Lord Panthro, Lord Tygra," Lucius' son Basheer entered the room.

"It is good to see you but how did you get past the guards at the front door?" The panther asked.

"I have a message from the hospital about Sahara," the reptile explained.

"That'll do it. What happened?" Tygra asked. Basheer motioned with his eyes for them to move to a secluded corner of the room.

"Pumyra says somehow her DNA has been altered. They were going to run a blood test and when they tried to match the DNA to the one on file, it was different," he explained.

"How is that possible?" Panthro wanted to know. Basheer shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know but I need to get to the library and collect any data I can on DNA mutation. What kind of DNA was it?" Tygra asked.

"Male DNA of unknown origin. According to Pumyra, it is not Thundarian or Plundarrian," the reptile said. The orange tiger was silent as thoughts raced through his head.

"When did her DNA change?" Panthro wondered trying to piece it together.

"There is only one thing I can think of, Mumm-Ra," Tygra said before bolting out of the room and heading for the library.

"You'd better stay with him. So far nothing indicates an unstable structure but I want someone smart enough to pull him from his reading in case you need to make an emergency exit," the panther told him.

"You got it," Basheer nodded and took off after the tiger. Panthro shook his head and turned back to the teams at work,

"Does anyone have anything for me?" Quickly the teams reported in that so far everything seemed intact and then they went back to work.

"How is it possible?" Tyler asked his mother who had just delivered the devastating news.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that if we do not correct it somehow, you will never have cubs. I'm not sure if you even discussed that with each other but you deserve to know the truth," Pumyra tried to tell him the best way she knew how silently praying to Jaga that Tygra would know what to do. Her family had been healers for generations but never once had they come across something like this.

"We hadn't really discussed it, I mean you know it was always, "when we have cubs". Always like it was some far off decision. I mean we're so young still… I…" Tyler was obviously rattled and had no idea what to do. Pumyra wished she could hold him in her arms but being in a wheelchair, she could not.

"I'll tell her when she wakes up," he said, not wanting anyone else to say anything.

"Of course, you are to be her mate and that is your right," she smiled at him. The pumiger nodded and went to sit by Sahara, trying to find the words to say.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY STRONG T RATING FOR THIS CHAPTER.

"Queen Cheetara! Can you explain the sudden rebirth of the Princess?"

"How are the King and the Prince taking it?"

"What happened at the Lair? Why is everyone being forced to stay outside?"

"What is the King's condition?"

"Gentlemen, your questions will be answered one at a time and in a more civilized manner. If you do not back up from the podium I will be forced to remove you," Ben-Gali was close to bearing his fangs at the crowd of press that eagerly awaited the cheetah's announcement after a press conference had been called. The white tiger felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Cheetara giving him a smile.

"I appreciate the protection. If Lion-O were here they wouldn't be acting so," she kept her voice low.

"Yes well apparently I'm not as scary as your husband," he chuckled. This made the Queen laugh and she carefully guided herself to the podium. The crutches were leaned up against the chair behind her in case she needed them and she leaned on the podium for support.

"Good afternoon, people of Thundera. I know you all have questions and I will try to answer them as quickly as I can," she paused. The crowd of reporters had their eyes glued to her and she was secretly wondering how Lion-O managed to deal with this on a regular basis.

"First let me tell you that Princess Sahara is under the best medical care on Thundera. The doctors are working as quickly as they can to understand her condition and we hope to have news soon. We are all hopeful she will come back to us as strong and as healthy as she should be. As for the King, he is recovering very well and wishes to thank everyone for all the cards and gifts he has been sent,"

"The Lair cannot be occupied until the cause of the mysterious explosion can be identified. What I can tell you is that we have crews working around the clock looking for answers and as soon as I have them, you will have them. In the meantime, I wish to thank the people of Thundera for opening their homes to our displaced ThunderGuard members. Lion-O tells me a new larger garrison is to be built soon so that we may avoid such troubles in the future. Thank you," with that the press conference was over and reporters left feeling that they were missing out on something. Still the Queen was true to her word and they knew that their answers would come soon.

Meanwhile Panthro sat in his office down in the hangar working on some sort of cockamamie story to explain the explosion and destruction inside the Lair. Structurally the building would live to fight another day as the door was removed and the wall, along with the beam behind it, was replaced. A new freezer door was being built by the local steel shop along with a couple spares just in case they had another incident. The sprinkler heads and piping were easy to replace and were being worked on immediately. The new security camera needed a new wiring connection but they had all the equipment they needed and that was being replaced as well. Thankfully the only thing that had to be outsourced was the door and the panther had an idea of how to explain it provided the physics made sense.

"Any luck?" Lea asked as she walked into her husband's office.

"My brain needs a break," he muttered rubbing the heels of his palms on his broad forehead. Lea pouted, moved behind his chair, and started massaging his shoulders.

"That feels good," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"I bet. You have one heck of a knot back here," the lioness said trying to relax the muscle problem away. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the more she rubbed, the more some other muscle reacted. Lea coughed and the panther moved his head back and just smirked.

"I know we've been busy but a shoulder rub shouldn't stand at attention," she told him.

"Yes well considering how long it's been I think any amount of attention is warranted," he said as he spun around and pulled her into his lap.

"Hello there," she said feeling the bulge in his uniform. He pulled her close and crushed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they both were completely lost in one another until someone needed to come up for air.

"Where?" He asked.

"No one is here," she jerked her head toward the hangar and the panther knew immediately what she wanted. There was nothing hotter than the two of them in the Tank. He stood up and wrapped her legs around his waist. They continued to kiss until he reached the Tank and opened the hatch.


	27. Chapter 27

Sometime later Tygra and Basheer wandered into the hanger searching for Panthro. The tiger thought he'd found something that could help Sahara but he'd need to discuss it with the doctors and Pumyra at the hospital.

"The lights are on in his office," Basheer said.

"Yes and yet he does not appear to be around," Tygra commented.

"Perhaps he took a break," the reptile shrugged.

"I'll check the Tank. He often works on his baby when he needs to think," the orange tiger told him.

"I'll hang out in his office in case he comes back," Basheer offered. Tygra nodded and set the book he'd brought down on a clean spot on the table outside the panther's office. He moved toward the vehicle and didn't see the engineer but then again he could be catching forty winks inside so he popped the back hatch.

"Sweet mother of Jaga!" Tygra backed up from the tank having caught sight of Leanna's very naked body.

"Tygra!" Lea quickly moved to cover her nakedness with her carelessly discarded uniform. Both flushed so much that they were as red as a tomato.

"Give us a minute!" Panthro pulled the hatch closed. A few minutes later, both emerged. Lea said nothing and ran off to find Cheetara.

"I'm sorry," the tiger tried to apologize but she didn't stop.

"Is she going to be ok?" He asked as the panther looked at him.

"Well normally I would threaten to kill you for looking at my naked wife but considering we didn't exactly leave a sign…" Panthro paused.

"It wasn't rockin' so I figured I could come a knockin' but I guess not. I thought she was with Cheetara anyway," the tiger said.

"She was and then she came down for a visit," he explained as they walked back to his office.

"Well Basheer and I need a ride back to the hospital. I think we found something but we're not sure," Tygra told him.

"I got you. Ok well I need to talk to Cheetara. I think I came up with something to feed the press about the explosion. Also we need to get the architects to start plans for a new larger garrison so I can stop by and get them started. I also have to check on the crews' progress in the basement," Panthro said.

"Sure you'll have enough energy to do all that?" The tiger teased. Panthro smirked as the approached his office.

"Hey is Lady Lea ok? I said hello but she ignored me," Basheer said.

"She wasn't feeling well but I'm sure she'll be fine," the panther smiled. The reptile seemed to buy the explanation and the three quickly headed to the nearest transport vehicle.

"Why aren't we taking the Tank?" Basheer asked.

"I'd like us to arrive in stealth at the hospital," Tygra quickly spoke up.

"Ah I understand. Have you sworn the doctors to secrecy?" The reptile wondered.

"Yes. No one is to release or tell anyone about the genetic mutation. If we cannot reverse it then I will be in charge of finding a way for her and Tyler to have children," the tiger said.

"I will help in any way I can. I owe her my life after what happened on Plundarr," Basheer offered.

"Your father has taught you well my young friend. He should be proud of you," Panthro smiled knowing full well that the reptile had no medical training at all. The fact that he'd obviously tried to help Tygra in the library from all the books they'd found in a short time.

"Thank you sir. He would be glad to hear it," the reptile smiled as the group climbed into the transport and headed off toward their destination.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Sahara was just waking up. She felt refreshed and was surprised to find herself hooked up to every machine possible.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Hey babe," Tyler leaned forward and took her hand in his. The litah smiled slightly glad to see him.

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out.

"Sorry you've been out for about twelve hours. I fell asleep," he chuckled.

"Has it been that long?" Sahara asked, surprised that her healing trance had lasted so long.

"Yeah and I wasn't sleeping well since you…" he trailed off, unable to say the word.

"Well I'm not going anywhere anymore. We're going to be mated and we're going to live long happy lives," she said giving his hand a squeeze.

"I'm looking forward to it," the pumiger smiled but she could tell he was hiding something.

"What's wrong?" She asked.


	28. Chapter 28

Tyler swallowed hard and tried to explain to her in the best way he could. Her face fell as the news absorbed into her mind.

"I know that we never really talked about cubs but I am so sorry," he said, standing up and leaning over to kiss her forehead. Tears formed in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away, before tugging his arm and pulling him into bed with her. He lay on his side and wrapped his arm behind her head.

"We'll adopt," her words were strong as if to reinforce the idea not only with him but herself.

"We certainly can," he smiled.

"They may not be ours genetically but we can still be parents and love them like our own," Sahara nodded.

"Absolutely. We have a lot of love to give," Tyler said before leaning down and gently kissing her lips. At that moment Pumyra wheeled into the room followed by Tygra, Basheer, and three other doctors.

"Can't take my eyes off you two for a minute," Pumyra teased.

"Well we were supposed to be mated two days ago," her son pointed out as he stood up.

"This is true," the puma smiled.

"Well it will have to wait but if I'm right then you'll be able to have cubs of your own," Tygra spoke up.

"You've found a way to reverse the problem?" Sahara asked; her tone was hopeful.

"Yes, I believe so. I just wish we had some more tests available to be one hundred percent sure," the tiger said.

"What's the worst that could happen? I already can't have children," the litah pointed out.

"There is a very good chance that it may not work and your body will reject the treatment. As it is now I'm not sure how your body is handling your new DNA. It could affect your reproductive organs. Not that you'd start to grow new ones or anything but the ones you have would cease to function and need to be removed," Tygra explained.

"Tyler and I discussed adoption. If it is necessary then we will have cubs one way or another," the litah said.

"Didn't I read somewhere that they used some form of genetic mutation for those who wanted to change their sex?" Tyler asked.

"Yes you are correct," one of the doctors stepped forward and introduced himself as Doctor Punthar of the puma clan.

"For those of the transgender community great strides were made in order for them to become what they were always meant to be but that was also along with hormone therapy and plastic surgery," he explained.

"So going from female to male back to female was never done before," Sahara said.

"Not but we will do all we can to help you, Princess," Doctor Forleon of the lion clan smiled.

"I appreciate everything you are doing, I really do but before anything else happens, I have two requests," the litah said.

"What are they?" Tygra asked.

"I need to see my family and I want Tyler and I mated before any procedures are done," she told them.

"We've waited this long, we can wait a little longer," Tyler smiled.

"No. We've waited long enough. If something were to go wrong, I don't want to leave him without the knowledge that we weren't able to do the one thing that matters the most, I want the world to know how much I love him," Sahara put her foot down. Tyler leaned over and kissed her.

"Even if I was the only person to ever know you loved me that would be enough" he smiled.

"What the Princess wants she will have. Where is the nearest priest?" Pumyra smiled.


	29. Chapter 29

Panthro stood in front of a crowd of reporters out in front of Cat's Lair who were anxiously awaiting news of what had happened at the stronghold. He hoped the story he made up would satisfy everyone.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," the panther cleared his throat and the crowd of reporters calmed their chatter.

"I know you are all anxious to hear what happened at the Lair and I have some answers for you," Panthro told them.

"What exactly happened Lord Panthro? We all know that the issue has been guarded by the Queen and as subjects of the Thunderian Empire, we require answers, we demand answers," one of the reporters, an overzealous lynx by the name of Lylin said.

"And you shall have them or mark my words, you'll find yourself in a private audience with Lord Lion-O about why you spoke out of turn about his wife and your Queen," the panther glared at the lynx who stood there seemingly unimpressed. Needless to say the rest of the group was silenced and he continued,

"Repairs are being put into place and the Lair will be fully operational by tomorrow afternoon. The explosion was caused by a leaking refrigerant line, which fed the morgue's freezers. It was dripping into the freezer, which contained Sahara. The combination of her scratching at the door to try to get out and the build up of gas from the warming refrigerant caused an explosion, which rocketed the door off its hinges. This triggered the fire protection system, which in turn requires an immediate evacuation of the Lair. Upon running down to see if any fire could be put out, Lord Ben-Gali discovered his son helping the Princess. She was immediately rushed to Lord Jaga's Hospital where doctors are attempting to discover her physical condition and how she survived the blast. Her condition continues to improve and I have been told that she and Tyler Gali were mated by the hospital priest only thirty minutes ago." Immediately hands went up into the air calling out for the panther to answer their questions. He pointed to an orange tiger who asked,

"The biggest mating since the reformation of Thundera has occurred and it was done in secret? Why?"

"I was informed that Princess Sahara did not wish to wait any longer. She has been given a second chance at life and she is trying to live it to the fullest," Panthro responded.

"Was she pregnant at her time of death?" Someone from the back shouted.

"I detest that inference sir. She and Tyler have been in love a long time but they never once broke with tradition and if Lion-O were here he would have your hide for suggesting it!" The panther growled and with that the issue was closed and the press conference over. He headed back inside and Lea was waiting for him at the door.

"I can't imagine what would happen if someone suggested Mari was pregnant," she smirked, knowing full well their daughter being all of fifteen wouldn't even dream of coming home and telling them she was with cub. Between the rage Panthro would fly into and the death of her boyfriend, it would be an ugly affair.

"I know we didn't wait to get married before we… but we also weren't teenagers and we were responsible," the panther's thoughts spewed out.

"Yes well it's always different when it's your kid. Now why don't we take a ride over to the hospital and let Lion-O know what's going on?" The lioness leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You think you'll be ok looking at Tygra ever again?" He asked knowing they would bump into the tiger at the hospital.

"If he knows what's best for him he won't say a word," she pounded her fist into her open palm.

"That's my girl," Panthro pulled her close and kissed her temple as they headed for the ThunderTank.


	30. Chapter 30

At the hospital, Tygra stared down the barrel of the microscope, hoping to see what he wanted. He had taken a sample of Sahara's new DNA and created a mutation serum that would transform it into her original DNA, or so he hoped. Even if her exact DNA could not be reconstructed, at least she would have female DNA and with some hormone treatments, she could be back on track to living the life she was meant to.

"What do you think Lord Tygra?" Doctor Forleon asked. The tiger didn't answer as he injected the mutation serum filled with female DNA into the Princess's male DNA. They only had enough of her original DNA to put into the experiment and Tygra wanted to save it for the actual treatment.

"The mutation seems to be working…" the orange tiger paused as he watched the cells explode. They were not supposed to do that.

"I take it back. It destroyed the original cells and the new cells," Tygra heaved a sigh and turned from the microscope.

"Did we create the serum improperly?" Doctor Punthar wondered.

"We followed the instructions given by the scientists at the Genetics Lab but perhaps we're missing something," the tiger shook his head.

"Can we have assistance from them or are we treading into dangerous territory?" Basheer asked.

"I asked them for a copy of their journals and as one of the ThunderCats in charge of medical development, they were obligated to give me whatever I requested. They have no idea what we are doing," Tygra said.

"Why don't we step back a second? Maybe we didn't do anything wrong," Forleon suggested.

"How so?" Tygra asked.

"What if the serum injected into Sahara self-destructs when a new serum is introduced? We all know that Mumm-Ra would go to any lengths to get what he wanted. What if he's backed us into the proverbial corner?" The lion offered. The orange tiger nodded. The lion had a point. If he were to inject the serum as is, it would kill the litah. However if there was a way to disarm the self-destruct command, they could fool the serum into doing what they asked.

"Retrieve for me a sample of male DNA from the bank and create more serum. I want to see if the serum works. If so we know the problem lies with Sahara's DNA. If it does not we can call in some of the geneticists," Tygra instructed. Quickly the group went off to do as they were told and Basheer turned to him.

"You think that Sahara can turn off the mutation serum," the reptile said.

"It's possible. Her last healing trance lasted longer than I expected so perhaps her body is already on the defensive. Mumm-Rana had amazing healing capabilities, what is to say that Sahara can't help us out?" The ThunderCat shrugged.

"Do we have to be concerned about what happened in the Petri dish happening inside her body if she tries to shut down the self-destruct mechanism?" Basheer asked.

"I'm not sure but we have to try. Her healing abilities have been a mystery to me ever since Mumm-Rana gave her her powers. Even if she can hold it off until we inject a workable serum then we'll be fine. I'm going to talk to her about it," Tygra said.

"Then may Jaga and the Gods be with us," the reptile replied.

"I certainly hope so. We need all the help we can get. Get in touch with your father on a secure line. He wanted to have an update," he told the young reptile.

"I'm on it," Basheer nodded.


	31. Chapter 31

"You want me to try what now?" Sahara asked concerned that the tiger had lost his mind.

"It may be the only way to transform you back into the litah you should be. Do you think you can try?" Tygra asked.

"Well I can certainly give it a go but you must realize, my body usually goes into a trance when it realizes there is a physical problem. For example, I'm bleeding or I have a broken bone. I'm not really sure if I can do anything without something initiating it," she said. Tygra remained silent for a moment and then asked,

"Remember when the flu was going around and everyone in the Lair contracted it except for you?"

"Yes. Leo complained how it wasn't fair. He wanted me to cure him," she smirked.

"But you did have it, you just didn't have any outward symptoms. When I took a blood sample, you had antibodies that you shouldn't have had," the tiger commented.

"That's right. Somehow my body had warded it off to the point where I didn't feel it, but that was also the same week when I had fell off the space boards and Ma-Mutt brought me back to the Lair by using his teeth. If I were capable of having scars there'd be teeth marks in my ankle," Sahara told him.

"I had forgotten about that. The poor dog did all he could for you as usual," Tygra nodded. At that moment, Tyler walked in, returning from his trip to the commissary with Thundarian rice pudding, Sahara's favorite and recent craving.

"What's going on guys?" He asked concerned that the tiger was speaking to his mate alone.

"We're discussing options," Tygra said.

"Ah so the serum worked then?" The pumiger asked.

"Not exactly," Sahara then went on to explain the situation.

"So you're thinking of hurting yourself in an attempt for your body to correct the problem so that Tygra can inject the serum into you?" He didn't like the sound of that.

"In a nutshell, yes," the litah replied.

"My biggest concern is that we will not be able to test it before we inject it into you. If something were to go wrong…" Tygra stopped his sentence but the two knew what he meant.

"Then I suggest we try something else in order to avoid such an event," Pumyra wheeled herself further into the room. She'd heard enough from the doorway.

"What are you thinking?" Tygra asked.

"Splicing," the puma answered simply.

"Oh no. There was a reason the Elders on Thundera forbade it," the tiger protested.

"Yes they forbade it's mass use. We will be doing it once to save the Princess. I hardly see it as a violation of their order. Besides the order was made before the planet was destroyed and no such decree has been made by Lion-O or the new council of Elders," She said.

"Probably because they believe we will continue to follow the old ways," Tygra told her.

"The old ways have been dead for a long time my friend. We are living in a new age of prosperity and peace. Once the experiment is done, all records will be purged and no one will speak of it," Pumyra insisted. The look on Tygra's face gave away his uncertainty but he saw a point behind his colleague's words. If they were to ruin the only sample of Sahara's original DNA then all hope would be lost of creating a new one to match it.

"Get Lion-O and Cheetara on the phone. I need to discuss this with them. Also check out the progress in the lab, we need to be ready," Tygra said.

"Right away," the puma nodded and wheeled herself to the nearest secure phone line.

"What does she mean by splicing?" Sahara asked.

"We will take samples of your parents DNA and essentially attempt to create more of your DNA. Once we are successful then we can make as much of your DNA as we can to try to nail down what we should be injecting into you. I'll need another sample of your current DNA and I want you to think about what I said. If all else fails we will have to hope your powers will be enough to save you," the tiger said before leaving the room and ordering the doctors for another sample and body scan. Tyler looked to Sahara and she gave him a smile, knowing exactly what he was thinking,  _what have we gotten ourselves into?_


	32. Chapter 32

"You want to do what?" Lion-O was trying to grasp what Tygra had just told him over the videoconference screen. The orange tiger had secured a room with a screen so it would be easier to talk to them both inside the secure walls of Lion-O's office. Quickly the tiger repeated what he said and the lion nodded.

"Tygra, there was a reason the Elders had forbade it," Cheetara spoke up.

"It may be the only way. As much as I hate to admit it Pumyra is right once again," this got a chuckle out of everyone. The puma had been a great help when it came to medical situations and more often than not she had proven that she was right and Tygra was wrong.

"Can we keep it quiet? How will you perform the procedure without involving the geneticists?" The lion wondered.

"I'm not sure really, I might have to…" Tygra stopped talking when he heard a knocking sound.

"Someone's at the door, hold on," Cheetara got up from her seat and hobbled to the door. Sliding it open she found Lucius standing there.

"Apologies my Queen but Basheer has informed me of the latest developments and I wish to offer my assistance," the reptile said.

"Come in and lock the door behind you," the cheetah told him. He did so quickly and Lion-O informed Tygra of who had joined them. Quickly the tiger brought up the new idea that Basheer had not known about and Lucius pondered a moment.

"I'm afraid my Mutant brothers and sisters were not as cautious as Thunderians when it came to messing around with DNA. Most of our geneticists wished to only use it for research whilst some were bent on producing the ultimate soldier. Cloning, mutation serums, and of course splicing were the best way to achieve this goal. That being said I have a friend back home who would be more than capable of assisting in the process," he said.

"Can he keep a secret?" Lion-O asked.

"He is one of those who stood by my side during our oppression on Plundarr," Lucius told them.

"Then I believe he can be trusted. We need to get him here as soon as possible," Lion-O said.

"I agree. The fastest way would be by Safet's Boom Tube," Tygra pointed out.

"I will get it and be to Plundarr and back shortly," Lucius nodded. He stood and Lion-O cut the feed.  
"Please tell Safet that I wish to speak to him and will hopefully be able to see him soon. There is a lot of explaining that needs to be done and through it all we may have gained ourselves a new ally," the Lord of the ThunderCats told Lucius.

"Of course, my King," the reptile bowed and slid out of the room.

"Do you think we are making the right decision?" Cheetara asked.

"If it cures Sahara and we are able to keep the whole story under wraps then yes, it is the right decision. I could not bear to lose her again," Lion-O said.

"Nor could I but you heard what Lucius said. Once we start something like this it is a slippery slope to climb back up. If we make an exception now then later will we make the same exception until it becomes the rule?" She wondered.

"You are right as usual but I will not allow it under my rule and I have faith that neither will Leo," he leaned over and kissed her temple. Cheetara nodded, hoping that he was right.


	33. Chapter 33

Lucius arrived with his friend, Malabar, at the hospital some thirty minutes later. The poor vulture had to regain his wits when his friend on a far away planet suddenly popped up in his office. After having done so, he grabbed everything he thought he might need and they returned to Cat's Lair and took the first available transport to the medical facility.

"Lord Tygra, it is an honor to meet you," Malabar bowed.

"And you as well. A friend of Lucius is a friend of mine," Tygra shook his hand.

"Lucius was kind enough to fill me in but I'm afraid I need more specifics," the vulture said.

"Of course, let us get out of the public area," the tiger jerked his head to the right and they slipped into the lab where Doctors Forleon and Punthar were waiting for them.

"Thanks to these two we have more serum and they have finished a trial test. What did you end up with?" Tygra asked.

"The good news is, is that the serum works. The bad news is that means Sahara's DNA has a self-destruct mechanism," Punthar spoke up.

"So splicing will be the only way to figure out how to shut that mechanism off. We will create more of the Princess's DNA via her parents and run tests. I have not yet come across something with a "self-destruct mechanism" as you call it," Malabar looked puzzled.

"When we injected the mutation serum into a sample of Sahara's new DNA, the cells exploded and died," Forleon explained.

"Ah then there is no "self-destruct" merely you have created the wrong type of mutation serum," Malabar smiled.

"Come again?" Tygra asked.

"The generic mutation serum will in fact change most species DNA as it is supposed to. You used that but the problem was you used Thundarian DNA not the DNA from the species that was injected into her. You will need a sample to convert the new sample into female DNA of that species and then you can convert female-to-female using a Thundarian mutation serum," the vulture told them.

"But we've conducted successful mutations before without having to go through all of that," Punthar said.

"Indeed you have, I've read the journals but mutating tiger to tiger or leopard to leopard, is not the same thing as lets say lion to frog," Malabar pointed out.

"So in order to do what we need to we need to create a mutation serum turning Mumm-Ra's DNA to Mumm-Rana's DNA and then we can attempt a female-to-female mutation?" Tygra asked.

"I'm not sure who Mumm-Ra and Mumm-Rana are but if one has infected the Princess then we need the opposite to correct it then we can try a female to female mutation. Although I must warn you, I haven't tried a female-to-female mutation of a different species. This is all theory I've been researching," he explained.

"Well we've got to try. The last body scan of Sahara has her body attacking her internal organs," Pumyra wheeled herself into the room, holding the last scan's results.

"Great Jaga's ghost," Tygra murmured at the notice of cell degeneration noted by the scan.

"Then I'd best get moving. Where can I work and do we have every sample we need?" The vulture asked.

"Yes, I took some more samples from Lion-O and Cheetara," Tygra looked up from the scans and pointed toward the refrigerator where the samples were stored.

"I will need some assistance. Doctors," he nodded to Punthar and Forleon who quickly jumped in to help the vulture. Tygra quickly made his way down the hall where he found Tyler at the phone. He quickly hung up and headed for the tiger. Sahara's eyes were closed and her breathing shallow.

"What happened?" The tiger wanted to know.

"She was in a lot of pain and all of a sudden her body went into a trance. I can't wake her up so I tried to call you or Mom," Tyler explained. Quickly Tygra looked at the machines she was hooked up to and noticed that her heart rate had slowed.

"She's in a full on trance and without her being fully aware, I'm afraid we'll have to try to inject the serum without her knowing. You're her mate now and with her incapacitated you'll have to make the decisions," the tiger said without thinking. Tyler swallowed hard and gave him a look before nodding.

"Good man. I'll try to hurry the process along," the tiger left the room and rushed down the hall where he explained the situation to everyone.

"I need two hours to come up with the mutation serum. I've never worked with this species before and I can't mess it up, especially with no female DNA of the species available to me," Malabar told him.

"Then see what you can do, otherwise she's lost," Tygra swallowed hard.


	34. Chapter 34

Malabar walked into the room where Tyler stood by his mate. Tygra was nearby monitoring the machines that were keeping Sahara's medical health on record. He smiled at them and looked at the needle in his hands.

"I'm afraid we have to try it. I'm not entirely comfortable with this but if we do not do something quickly, then all hope is lost anyway," the vulture explained.

"How'd you do it?" Tyler asked, concerned that this could get ugly fast.

"Well I used DNA I spliced together from her parents and tested the mutation serum on some Thundarian DNA. It seemed to work and then I used a separate mutation serum to allow female to female transformation but considering I had to synthesize the female opposite of what had been injected, I'm nervous," Malabar said.

"Well do what you have to doctor, her vitals are all over the map," Tygra told him.

"As you wish," Malabar headed over to Sahara and jabbed the needle into her leg. The tip penetrated the femoral artery and he pushed the plunger down. It would travel fast thanks to the artery and he only hoped they would see results soon.

"How long until we notice any change?" Tyler asked.

"Well it won't be outwardly apparent unless she suddenly wakes up. My guess is that with all the healing her body is trying to do, the only way to know is to wait for her to wake up," Tygra told him.

"I concur. Although I would take a DNA sample in approximately ten minutes. We will know if the serum worked or not," Malabar said.

"We'll leave you alone. I'll go inform Lion-O and Cheetara," the tiger smiled.

"Thank you for everything," Tyler said to both. They nodded and left the room. The pumiger collapsed into the chair next to her bed and waited.

"ThunderCats, I've called this meeting for three reasons. One is to tell you that right now doctors are trying to save Sahara. My last update was that they were attempting to use an experimental treatment. I want to thank Tygra and his team for working so hard to make sure our daughter comes back to us. The second reason for this meeting is that I will be starting light duty, next week. I know it seems fast but I can't handle sitting at my desk anymore. The doctors say I won't be combat ready for awhile but Leo will be acting in my stead. I know he is young and I know it is a lot to ask of everyone to follow him but hopefully nothing serious will come up and he'll have more time to train," the lion paused as he faced a room full of ThunderCats. There were some old, some new, and some who were about to be crowned but they all chuckled at his last statement. They could no longer use the small conference room and had moved into the dining hall and the laughter echoed off the high ceilings.

"Like we haven't followed a cub before?" Panthro asked.

"Yes well its different. He's my cub," Lion-O pointed out, a smile on his face.

"I'll make sure he doesn't trip and fall," Lea chuckled.

"And I'll make sure to tell him all the things you did as our leader. Mostly the embarrassing stuff," Ben-Gali smirked.

"Oh you would. Now just because my daughter and your son are mated doesn't mean I can't kick your ass," the lion laughed after saying it.

"You'll have to get through me first," Pumyra said feistily from her wheelchair. To this everyone laughing knowing that the puma would not hesitate to try to kick the Lord of the ThunderCats' butt.

"I'd pay money to see that. Dueling wheelchairs!" WilyKit called out. More laughter erupted from the room and Cheetara quieted them down.

"The third reason is something that we need you all to think seriously on. Lucius, Mongul, and Nafir would you please step forward?" She asked. The three did slowly until they faced the entire group.

"We are about to ask all of you a very important question that will impact not only Thundera and Third Earth but also Plundarr. These three have helped us save our home and we have helped save theirs. Both Lion-O and I feel it only necessary to crown them ThunderCats. What say you?" Cheetara wanted to know. She expected resistance even silence but instead the room erupted into cheers.

"Motion passed!" She smiled.


	35. Chapter 35

Malabar stood looking over the results from the sample of DNA taken from Sahara. He expected the serum had worked but he'd become nervous when the litah hadn't woken up. The good news was that her vitals had returned to normal and perhaps that meant the serum had worked. Holding his breath, he checked things out under the microscope.

"What do we have Doctor?" Doctor Punthar asked.

"Excellent news! The female DNA has taken over. Now we must try the most difficult injection," the vulture replied.

"That is fabulous news," Forleon smiled and headed for the refrigeration unit where the second serum was held.

"Well it was nice to work with you both. I only hope that King Lion-O does not decide to use me as a new trophy should this not work," the nervous vulture said.

"I'd be focusing on the medal he'll pin on your chest for saving Sahara," Punthar gave the doctor a clap on the back and Forleon handed him the needle.

"Thank you," Malabar nodded and headed over to Sahara's room. When he walked in Tyler stood up.

"Any good news?" He asked.

"So far so good, young pumiger. I'll be injecting the next serum. Let us hope it works just as well as the first," Malabar gave a slight smile and once again injected the needle into the litah's thigh. The two waited and watched for a miracle to occur.

"How goes it?" Tygra asked a few minutes later with Lion-O, Cheetara, and Leo in tow.

"We're still waiting. The first serum was a success. The second…" Malabar trailed off.

"I want to thank you for not only myself but all of my family Doctor," Lion-O said.

"I was glad I was able to help but please do not thank me until we know it worked. We'll know for certain if the serum took hold in another few minutes," the vulture smiled and bowed.

"No matter what happens, I thank you. We thank you," the lion smiled. Tyler left his chair and went over to the King and Queen.

"I want to thank you for allowing Doctor Malabar to do what he did. I know it could not have been an easy decision but I am glad you made it," the pumiger smiled. Cheetara pulled him into a hug and for the first time in a long time he heard her cry.

"You have to promise me something," she said as she let go of him.

"Anything," he said.

"If this works, I want lots of grandbabies," the cheetah wiped her eyes.

"Yes ma'am," Tyler smiled.

"Who died? I know it wasn't me," a familiar voice asked. Tyler spun around to see Sahara awake and smiling. He moved toward her and pulled her into a hug.

"You're back," he couldn't contain his happiness.

"Yes I am but I believe someone has some 'splaining to do," the litah gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh and what is that?" He asked, confused.

"Well for starters why I slipped into a trance. Another good question is, is how'd I come out of it so fast. I mean one moment my brain is in shutdown mode and the next I'm awake and able to look around. Usually there is a gradual bring back to reality. Not this time," Sahara said.

"I think I'll have to answer those once we take another DNA sample and run a body scan. If everything checks out, I'd say you'd be set to go home," Tygra told her.

"All right, sounds good. Then after that I believe I have a honeymoon to get to," the litah smirked.

"Oh I got you covered," Tyler winked.

"That's just nasty," Leo gagged.


	36. Chapter 36

"Good news! The body scan reads everything as normal. The internal damage done has been reversed due to your amazing healing abilities," Tygra smiled as he told the room the test results. The litah had a pensive look on her face while the rest of the people in the room wore smiles.

"When can she come home?" Lion-O asked.

"Right now unless Doctor Malabar has any objections," the tiger turned to the vulture.

"I have no objections. Mainly concerns," Malabar said.

"What would those be Doctor?" Cheetara inquired.

"Well my Queen, my biggest concern is that the serum worked in its entirety. You see its possible that Sahara could still have foreign DNA in her system. These transformations work well on living cells but not so much on dead ones," the vulture explained.

"Yes but cells decay on their own all the time right?" Leo asked.

"Yes they do but fragments of cells may clog arteries or be absorbed by antibodies. Antibodies should destroy the fragments but since we do not completely understand how Sahara's antibodies work, it could rejuvenate the dead cells containing either the female DNA or Mumm-Ra's DNA. Perhaps I am overreacting but I think that for the next month, a DNA sample should be taken every three days. Should we see nothing after a month, I would step it down to every four days for the next month. At which time I believe we could make a fair judgment of her condition," Malabar said.

"Do you believe this to be necessary?" Lion-O wanted to know.

"I do and if I know my daughter-in-law that look on her face says she does as well," Pumyra interjected.

"She is right Dad," Sahara said.

"Forgive me Doctor Malabar. I should not question your reasons," the lion nodded to him.

"It is quite all right my King. We are treading into unknown territory and if someone did not question, I would think it odd. As I am obligated to keep my knowledge a secret, should I remain on New Thundera until the tests are finished?" The vulture wondered.

"I don't believe it is necessary. We have the staff to look at the samples and test them. Are you ok with being whisked away by Lucius again if need be?" Tygra asked.

"I must say that was fun and fascinating," Malabar smiled.

"Whatever you decide Doctor, know that New Thundera welcomes you for as long as you wish to make your stay. I know that Lucius and his family would love to have you," Lion-O smiled.

"Well then perhaps I will extend my stay for a little while," the vulture nodded.

"Excellent! What say we all get back to the Lair and see what Snarf has whipped up for dinner?" Leo asked.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Tyler said.

"Tygra do invite Doctors Forleon and Punthar along with their families," Lion-O said.

"Absolutely," the tiger quickly left the room and headed to find the two doctors.

"Has anyone seen my uniform?" Sahara asked, noticing she wore only a hospital gown.

"Why don't I run home and get a clean one? You relax and that'll give Snarf time to have his mini-heart attack and then get dinner ready," Tyler suggested.

"Good call," Sahara smiled. The group took off, leaving the litah alone with her thoughts. Something wasn't quite right but she couldn't put her finger on it. With everyone gone, she closed her eyes and calmed her mind.

"Jaga, I know you can hear me, show yourself and bring Mumm-Rana with you," it was quite obvious she was in no mood.

"Not even your father can summon me girl. Do not forget with whom you are speaking," Jaga appeared before her.

"Don't you get all snippy with me. You've known from the beginning what has been going on and both of you have left me in the dark. I'll not have it," Sahara told him as she jerked her head toward Mumm-Rana.

"You deserve to know but it was not his place to tell you. Do not take it out on him," the mummy said.

"Then you tell me. You gave me all these powers with no explanation and now I have almost died due to Mumm-Ra and his trickery. This was not the first time and I doubt it will be the last. Tell me what is the ultimate plan?" Sahara wanted to know.

"I cannot tell you about the destiny that lies ahead. I can only tell you about the journey. There will be two more incidents that will shape who you are and what you will become and in the process the fate of New Thundera and her allies will be shaped along with it," Mumm-Rana told her.

"I will be there every step of the way young Princess, much like your father before you. Leo does not share in this gift and you must be able to use yours to the best of your abilities," Jaga spoke up.

"I appreciate that Jaga and I do apologize for my behavior but you do understand where I am coming from?" Sahara asked.

"I do my child. Just promise me you'll be more even tempered with your cubs," and with a wink both he and Mumm-Rana vanished.

Back at the Lair, Leo headed for the control room to tell Panthro that dinner was ready. He walked into the door as for some reason they were locked.

"Ow," he rubbed his nose before using the override code on the keypad. The doors swooshed open and closed behind him.

"What's the meaning of… Sweet Jaga's toothbrush!" Leo shouted as his eyes fell upon Panthro with Lea sitting on his lap. Although sitting wasn't exactly the right phrase, it was more like riding.

"What the hell is wrong with you two? Every time someone turns around you're acting like rabbits?" The litah asked as he shielded his eyes, waiting for them to separate.

"The door was locked. Now when you find a woman you love more than life itself, come talk to me," Panthro smirked.

"Well dinner's ready. Although I think I've lost my appetite," Leo said rushing from the room.

"Have we scarred him for life?" Lea asked, blushing.

"We weren't entirely naked. Besides my guess is that he'll walk in on his sister too," the panther chuckled.


	37. Epilogue

Dinner had gone well and everyone enjoyed each other's company so much so that it was almost ten pm before the guests left the Lair. Tygra said good night shortly after as he had to catch some sleep before going on duty at three am. Panthro and Lea waltzed off around eleven as they'd pulled doubles to cover while Tygra was otherwise occupied, and had been on the duty roster that day. Because the schedule had been thrown out of whack Ben-Gali had pulled a double in the hangar and he and Pumyra left around the same time as the panther and lioness. Their kids had all eaten dinner at a reasonable hour much before their parents got home. It was at that point that Lion-O decided it was best for his family and son-in-law to call it a day as well.

"I think we all could use the sleep," the lion said as Sahara and Tyler help clear the dishes. Snarf, would had been napping after making such a large meal, came over and pushed them out of the way.

"You two should not be doing dishes! Off you go!" The faithful nursemaid said.

"Snarf, someone your age shouldn't be doing the dishes at eleven o'clock at night," Tyler pointed out.

"What are you trying to say?" Snarf wanted to know.

"Only that the dishes will keep until morning when the staff comes in," Sahara said. Snarf looked upset as though he'd been replaced and immediately Lion-O stepped in.

"If you want to do them now, why don't you wash and I'll dry?" This seemed to satisfy Snarf and he hustled off to the kitchen.

"We'll help," Sahara offered and Tyler nodded.

"Absolutely not. The two of you need to actually get some sleep in a real bed. Tyler has been sleeping in that chair at the hospital and you haven't slept in a good long while, you're as white as a sheet," Cheetara shook her head.

"She's right. Off to bed with you," Lion-O nodded.

"Ok, ok we can take a hint," Sahara chuckled. With that the two left the room and headed for her room first.

"You know we don't actually have our own room do we?" She asked.

"Now that you mention it, no we don't. I think that took a backseat but I'm sure we can work something out in the morning," he said, sliding his hand into hers. She nodded and they fell silent for a few minutes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, sensing there was something on her mind.

"Talk about what?" She wanted to know.

"I don't know. Whatever is on your mind? You're obviously deep in thought," Tyler said.

"You know me too well," the litah smirked.

"Well I think that comes with the territory once you've been mated," he teased.

"It suddenly dawned on me with all this talk of DNA and child bearing that everyone keeps mentioning cubs. My mother, Jaga, your mother, they all want us to be baby making machines," she said.

"Well we did want a family so I think with all the hubbub about us maybe not being able to have any, just made people nervous. When did you talk to Jaga?" He asked suddenly recognizing the name of the most famous ThunderCat.

"I have been blessed with the gift my father has. Quite often Jaga will appear when I'm in serious trouble. Although Mumm-Rana had made herself known recently as well," she admitted.

"And you were keeping this a secret because?" Tyler stopped as they reached her room.

"Because my brother doesn't have that ability. He may be the next Lord of the ThunderCats and King of Thundera but he will not possess what I do now. As his Protector, I have been given these abilities. I was going to tell you when we had a quiet moment to ourselves but that hasn't been an option lately and to be honest, I'm still trying to absorb it myself," she admitted. He nodded and opened the door to her room. It was still a mess from the last time she'd slept in there. Clothes were on the floor and the bed was only half made.

"Wow, I forgot about this. I really have to clean up," she shook her head.

"When I came in here earlier I was going to say something but we didn't have time. Why don't you get ready for bed and I'll fix the sheets?" He offered.

"You sure? I could super-speed around the room and have it done in a jiff," she told him.

"Yes well that worked out so well before…" the pumiger chuckled and she punched him in the arm.

"You've got five minutes," she teased and she slipped into the bathroom. Tyler quickly worked to fix the bed up, the way a Princess should have it made and then he slipped down the hall to his room, grabbed some sleepwear, and rushed back to find Sahara walking out of the bathroom with her bathrobe on.

"Mind if I sleepover?" He asked.

"Oh I thought you'd never suggest it," she winked at him, despite the fact that they both knew they were way too tired to do much more than sleep. He disappeared into the bathroom and she climbed onto the right side of her full-sized bed. They'd have to get a bigger one but for tonight it would do. He exited the bathroom only a few minutes later and crawled in on the opposite side of the bed. She handed him an extra pillow and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

**T** **H** **E** **E** **N** **D**


End file.
